


Repetition

by constantconfusion14



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrinette | Adrien Agreste/Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Gabriel sucks at parenting again, Gen, Hot Mess Adrien Agreste, Ladynoir | Adrien Agreste as Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng as Ladybug, Some Fluff, Trust issues for sure, eventual identity reveal, no kwami au, rated for language
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-05
Updated: 2021-01-26
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:20:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 29
Words: 111,919
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24024226
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/constantconfusion14/pseuds/constantconfusion14
Summary: When Adrien accidentally stumbles on his father's secret bunker, Gabriel sees no other options than to use an akuma to erase his son's memories of the incident. But then it happens again. And again. And again. Adrien's muscle memory is unexplainable. And so are all of the hints he's been dropping.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Alya Césaire/Nino Lahiffe
Comments: 359
Kudos: 528





	1. A Slippery Slope

**Author's Note:**

> This fic takes place somewhere in the third season (after Puppeteer 2?). There are no kwamis in this au. I tried to make the story line work with them, but Plagg was causing issues, bless his heart. So instead, the holders simply will their transformations over them rather than calling out a phrase. The magic is contained in the jewelry instead of a tiny god. Everything else is the same. I hope you enjoy!

The first time Adrien had discovered everything had been...jarring to say the least. Gabriel had been lost in thought, examining his wife’s still body. Everyday it became less and less of a possibility of seeing her again as those damned children continued to win. In case he never succeeded, he had made sure to memorize every inch of her. Every curve of her body, every detail of her face was compartmentalized inside Gabriel’s brain. A wave of assurance flowed over him to quell his fears. He would never forget her, because he would succeed with his mission. He had to succeed. He’d never forgive himself if he didn’t. 

An audible gasp ripped him from his thoughts and he whipped around to see his son standing on the metal bridge, absolutely horrified. Gabriel couldn’t even compute a response. It was so unexpected. Adrien also looked caught off guard, wearing his embarrassing Ladybug pajamas and holding his fencing sabre weakly. The two stared at each other silently for what seemed like hours. This was...uncomfortable and the older man did not enjoy being uncomfortable. He decided to deal with the situation swiftly. Explanations could be provided when he was more prepared. 

“Adrien-”

“Wh-what is this?” His son had not moved an inch. His eyes lay glued on their point of focus. Not even Nathalie’s appearance from behind one of the bushes could falter his concentration on the body in the coffin. 

“It’s a...long story. Why don’t we go upstairs and discuss....this?” He gestured feebly to the scene behind him. How was he supposed to put his actions into words?

“No.” Adrien gripped his weapon with both hands and stood in a fighting stance “You’re going to explain here and now.”

Gabriel was shocked at the level of authority in his voice. His son very rarely spoke back to him, and every time he did it felt like he was getting stabbed in the eye. “Adrien, please. This is foolishness. I’m not going to fight you. And besides, your technique is all wrong. Be sensible.” Gabriel took a few hesitant steps towards his son. This isn’t how he wanted him to find out. He never should have seen this.

Adrien’s offensive stance morphed into a defensive one as his father drew nearer. His voice lost its power and began to rattle as he spoke. “Don’t take another step until you tell me why mother is here. Tell me why she isn’t moving. Is she dead!?” Gabriel was almost directly in front of him now but there was no comfort in his movements. Like a threatened cat with no other options, Adrien foolishly lashed out towards his father with his sabre and immediately felt nauseous when he hit his target. 

The sudden movement caught Gabriel off guard and he didn’t have time to react before the sword whipped his left side of his neck. He winced and his hand instinctively reached up to grab the injury. He heard Nathalie scold his son behind from behind him. Anger flared in his eyes behind his glasses.

Adrien immediately dropped his weapon and began pleading an apology. “Father. I’m so sorry. Please forgive me. I’m just scared and I don’t understand what’s going on…”. Gabriel had no words to describe his fury. So this is how it was going to be, huh? When had his son learned to be so disrespectful towards his parents? He had no idea all the trouble Gabriel was going through for him. For _them._

His hand moved of its own accord and struck Adrien’s cheek _hard_. The boy, completely unexpecting of the attack, was knocked off balance and fell. A loud echo permeated the open bunker as kneecaps collided with the harsh metal. He looked up with tears welling in his eyes. This was the first time Gabriel had ever raised a hand to his son and it did not feel good. This situation needed to end, now. 

Nathalie was suddenly at Adrien’s side, helping him back to his feet. The teenage boy tried to shrug her off but she held fast. Even after he was standing again, the assistant refused to let go. Her face showed mercy but her actions demonstrated control. His father growled in frustration and finally snapped. 

“I have shown you patience, Adrien. I have given you everything and you act out like this? I’m doing this for you! For _us!_ I never wanted you to find out this way and now it’s obvious that you can’t handle it!”

Gabriel had to think of a way out of this. He needed a do-over. Briefly glancing at his son’s face, he could feel the anger and betrayal coming off him in waves. He knew their relationship was ruined. It would never survive something like this. Now, even when he brought Emilie back, there would also be a rift between father and son. That wasn’t the perfect family picture Gabriel had worked his ass off to achieve. If only Adrien had never come down here. If only he could forget any of this existed. 

An unintentionally cruel smile spread across the designer’s face as a plan unfolded in his mind. It wasn’t ideal, but it would work and be mutually beneficial for both him and Adrien. “Nathalie, please restrain my son.” The assistant stared back with a puzzled expression but her unwavering loyalty won over her love for the child. Strengthening her grip on Adrien’s arm, she all but dragged him to the side of the bridge. Gabriel took off his ascot and rummaged through his coat pocket to find a thick strip of cotton left over from one of his design projects of the day. He handed the fabrics to the woman and she got to work. 

Adrien couldn’t even bring himself to fight. “No...please don’t. Please stop!” he just yelled over and over again while remaining completely compliant. Nathalie forced him in a sitting position and tied his wrists to the railing behind him. There was no way this was happening. Adrien began to crumble into sobs. “Please father, I’m sorry. Please don’t do this”. But his father wasn’t listening. 

The man waited until his assistant joined him on the main platform, surrounded by the glowing moths, before he willed his transformation to overtake him. In the blink of an eye, Hawkmoth stood in Gabriel Agreste’s place. Adrien felt like he was having a stroke. This couldn’t be real...this had to be a dream...it had to be a nightmare. 

Without even acknowledging his son’s revelation, Hawkmoth snatched a bug out of the air and forced darkness into it. He opened his hand and willed it to fly towards the woman in front of him. Nathalie closed her eyes and allowed the moth to sink into her glasses. Adrien could only watch in horror. “Amnesia,” Hawkmoth - no, _his father_ spoke aloud “I am giving you the power to erase the mistakes of the past. You will ensure secrets are kept and memories are lost.” The man gave a pointed glare at his son as a black cloud of energy enveloped Nathalie. 

In her place stood a terrifying akuma. A black dress with neon blue accents dripped off her body onto the floor, giving the illusion she was made of a liquid substance. Her skin had taken on an impossibly pale hue and left behind emotionless facial features. Her eyes had no pupil, iris, nor sclera. Instead they glowed a painfully bright blue, the same as on her dress. She turned on the boy against railing and drifted towards him. The sleeves poured over her arms unevenly and the fabric shifted fluidly as she raised an outstretched hand to his head. 

Adrien had come up against countless akumas. But none had scared him the way Amnesia did. Maybe it was because he lacked the confidence of his suit or because he didn’t have his lady by his side to protect him, but he was petrified. He couldn’t bring himself to react. His fight or flight response failed him and his body opted for the third, least helpful option: freeze. Adrien couldn’t move. He was glued in place by fear. And he _hated_ it. 

“No, no plea-”

He abruptly stopped speaking as Amnesia gently placed her hand on his forehead, as if she were searching for a fever. At the contact, a blue light passed from her palm into the boy’s face. Bright, neon tendrils flowed under his skin causing his eyes to imitate those of his attacker. Adrien stayed completely still for a moment as the magic worked to make him forget the terrible scene in front of him. The blue began to fade and receded from his eyes, making way for the emerald green color to return. A moment later though, they rolled back into his head altogether and he collapsed on the ground. 

Once the deed was done, Hawkmoth willed his akuma to leave his champion and released its dark energy. Nathalie faltered slightly when her transformation dropped and gasped silently at the limp form in front of her. Guilt coursed through her veins but she suppressed it with logic. This was the best way to help him and his father. 

A moment later, Gabriel stood next to his assistant, once again donning his signature designer clothes. His voice came out quieter than he expected as he spoke to his assistant. “Please finish up down here. I’ll take my son to his room. We will never speak of this night to anyone, not even each other. As far as I’m concerned none of this happened.”

Gabriel pulled a pocket knife from his jacket and reached around to cut the cloth from his son’s wrists. He then picked up the boy and carried him like a child to the elevator at the end of the bridge. Gabriel glanced down at the unconscious form and felt an overwhelming sense of regret for what he had done. At least it was over and he, nor his son ever had to experience this again.

**************

A few months later, the entire ordeal happened again.

Sooner than last time, Nathalie was reakumatized and took the same course of action. Adrien woke up the next day with a small headache but was none the wiser. 

A week and a half later, Gabriel groaned at the sound of small footsteps on the bridge behind him. Nathalie understood what to do without having to be told. Adrien was once again forced to forget. 

The next morning, the teen model once again found his way to the hidden bunker. He’d been drawn to the golden painting of his mother for some reason as soon as he had woken up. He felt a painful longing for her image. It made no sense, but he chalked it up to an ongoing grief process. He snuck his way down to his father’s office and found a deep sense of comfort in the painting. He focused on her soft expression and how it stood out from the harsh shapes surrounding her face. Adrien noticed three triangles in particular looked strangely worn out. As if someone had been specifically rubbing those spots. He reached out to the closest one and felt an obvious difference in the texture. The other two reflected the same issue. Were these...buttons? Adrien pushed in the one furthest away from him. Nothing happened. He pushed in the other two, individually. Nothing happened. 

“Huh. I wonder why that’s like that.” He wondered aloud. Before he could turn away, something inside stopped him. Without explaining how, he knew he needed to push all three. Adrien closely examined the picture again, positioning his fingers to press each one simultaneously. As soon as it did so, Adrien felt as if he were in a free fall. A sharp yell escaped him as the floor from beneath him was gone and he was falling to his death. Except...he wasn’t falling. _Was this an elevator? They didn’t have a basement!_

To Adrien’s horror they did, in fact, have a basement. But it was unlike anything he’d ever seen before. A long, metal bridge led to a small, grassy island. Water flowed underneath the bridge calmly, as if nothing were wrong with this scene. But a cold aura radiated all around and Adrien found himself shivering. Be it from the temperature or something else, he didn’t know. The metal bridge echoed uncomfortably loudly with each step he took. For a brief moment, he worried someone was down here and might hear him. But those thoughts melted away when he saw the centerpiece of the room. Drawing closer, he noticed a massive gold... _was that a holding chamber of some kind?_ The design emphasized the clear glass door in the front. A green light blinked happily at the bottom. 

When he stepped off the bridge, he half expected it to retreat to the other side of the pool, as if in an action movie. Because there was no way any of this was real. Surprisingly, the metal remained, completely motionless. For now. The gold object unfortunately appeared to resemble a coffin and it looked like someone, or something was inside of it. Orange converse met the golden base as Adrien realized just how correct he was. He froze, staring down at the peaceful face of his mother. 

What the hell was this place. 

**************

Gabriel knew something was wrong when he heard his son scream from downstairs. The father flew from the room upstairs to his office with little regard to his own safety. Upon entering, he saw nothing and huffed in surprise. Gabriel walked around behind his work station and saw his son’s duffle bag laying on the ground right next to the trap door. He sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose as he did so. 

_This had just happened last night!_ There was no way Adrien happened to re-discover everything mere hours after the previous events. Gabriel looked at his watch. It blinked back 6:23am. Adding insult to injury, Nathalie was going to be late this morning. For a moment, Gabriel considered simply leaving the situation alone until his assistant arrived but he quickly pushed the idea out of his head. Leaving his son alone in the bunker gave him a strong feeling of unease He was stuck without options until Nathalie could get there. Seeing no other way out, Gabriel accepted his fate. It was time to be honest with his son regarding his intentions and actions. As he rode the elevator down, he focused on how to make it go as smoothly as possible. 

************** 

Things got out of hand quickly when Adrien tried to punch his father while he calmly explained the situation. Gabriel was expecting it this time and easily dodged. What he didn’t expect was for his son to sweep his legs from under him and sprint to the exit. The cold metal was considerably unwelcoming to the man’s temple and he heard the floor of the elevator platform click flush with the ceiling tiles above before he was able to fully stand. After regaining his composure, he ran after his son, transforming as he did so. This was not like all the other times. 

Adrien made it to his room and locked the door behind him. For a second he debated transforming and fighting. But that would be foolish. Battling a fully matured miraculous holder was hopeless, especially without Ladybug. _Ladybug_ , the name echoed in his head, _of course!_ If he could just message her and tell her to get her ass over here, _stat_ , he could probably distract his father for a couple minutes. 

He unconsciously pulled out his phone and began frantically typing a message to her. Halfway through his attempt, Adrien mentally face-palmed himself as he realized he didn’t have a contact number for his partner. The phone fell, forgotten on the bed. “Shit, shit, shit” the curses rolled off his tongue as he hastily looked around for other options. This was not good. The only way to contact her was through his Catphone _if_ they were both transformed, which he assumed she wasn’t given the early time and obvious lack of akuma. Deciding it to be his best option, Adrien was about to call his suit over himself when his fath- no, _Hawkmoth_ burst into the room. The villain practically threw a butterfly in his son’s direction and watched as it was absorbed into the white over shirt his son always wore. Before the teen could even turn to face the door completely, a butterfly symbol floated around his eyes and his motion ceased. 

“You are Patience,” Hawkmoth spat angrily. “You will remain perfectly still and silent. For once, you will do exactly as I tell you and _wait._ ”

A black cloud covered his son’s body but made little alteration to his appearance. The only difference was the teen’s overall color. Both body and clothing appeared very gray, as if he were stuck half way between being a human and being a statue. For hours he stood there, unmoving. Gabriel, not wanting the akumatization to fail, remained Hawkmoth the entire time. He sat on the bed and just watched his son. For four hours. 

Around 11am, Nathalie finally arrived. Her disposition was unaffected as she entered the room, save for her eyebrows furrowing slightly. “Sir?” was the only attempt she made at asking a question.

“Nathalie, please restrain my son. Again.” The exasperation in his voice was not subtle.

The assistant walked over to the unmoving teenager and sat him in his desk chair, pinning his arms down behind him for extra precaution. She cringed at the stiffness of the body and the sound of cracking stone as she moved him. Finally, Hawkmoth released the akuma from his son and willed it to return to him. Adrien gasped for breath when he did so. A pang of guilt hit the father’s heart. Maybe the command to keep still had been too literal. He pushed the feelings aside and filled the moth with more negative energy. This was exhausting.

The bug flew towards Nathalie as if it knew the drill. Adrien was still recovering from his stupor and seemed to have little idea as to his situation. Before he was able to realize anything more, Amnesia brushed his forehead and the child once again went limp. Gabriel moved his son and laid him on his bed. Before he released the akuma, however, he needed to take precautions. He beckoned Amnesia into the bathroom with him. 

Searching through the cabinets, Gabriel found a few empty travel bottles. One by one, he placed them under Amnesia’s dripping sleeves and caught her excess memory fluid. When he was done, six bottles sat on the counter filled with the brightly glowing liquid. Should the need ever arise again, he would be prepared with or without Nathalie. At last, he called back the akuma and released his transformation. Surprisingly, the bottles stayed despite being cut off from their maker. Typically, Ladybug’s cure would reset things to the way they were. Gabriel wondered if they would disappear the next time she used it. 

Nathalie supported her boss as she walked him to the white couch in the middle of the room. The questions began as soon as they both sat down.

“Sir, what exactly happened? How many times are we going to put Adrien through this? And how are you going to explain his absence from his activities today?”

“He found out again somehow.”. Was all Gabriel could offer. Nathalie didn’t respond for a couple minutes, seemingly lost in thought.

“I wonder if it’s muscle memory” She spoke out loud. That was possible. The magic of the miraculous had their limitations. Her power of amnesia was effective, but there easily could’ve been a flaw in its effectiveness. It would certainly explain why Adrien had become so good at discovering the truth. Because deep down, he already knew. 

“Maybe. All I know is that this is becoming a major inconvenience.”

**************

Adrien woke up with an outrageous headache. 

“Ugh,” he groaned as he blindly searched his bed for his phone. What time was it? Finding it’s target, his thumb pushed the lock screen. “Four thirty!?” he screamed, flailing wildly to get his life together. What the hell had happened?

His father suddenly entered the room, scowling deeply. 

“Father! I-I don’t know what happened! I must’ve slept-in way past my alarm! I am so sorry, I’ll make up everything I missed by tomorrow. I-” The older man simply bent down and hugged his son tightly.

“Do you remember what happened last night, Adrien?” Last night? Adrien thought hard about what he was referring to but to his dismay, came up with nothing. 

“I...I don’t father. I’m sorry.”

Gabriel pulled away from the hug and looked at his son’s face. “You had an intense allergic reaction to something. I didn’t see a need for the hospital but instead gave you a large dose of medication. We’re still trying to figure out what exactly triggered the reaction. The medicine caused you to sleep for an extended period of time. You’ve been excused from all commitments for today only.”

“Wait, what? What happened?” Adrien had no recollection of that in the slightest. An allergic reaction? To what, sleeping?

“I do not wish to relive the experience, as you can imagine it was quite stressful. Please contact your classmates for makeup work and rest inside your room for the remainder of the day. Your food will be brought up to you. Please notify Nathalie immediately if you feel...unwell again.”

“Yes father, of course. Thank you...for saving my life, I guess.” He smiled sheepishly at the man as he scratched the back of his neck nervously. 

Gabriel failed to return the emotion. He turned away and walked towards the door, shooting back “It’s my job,” as he did so. He made sure Adrien didn’t see the brief look of guilt that flashed across his face before his infamous scowl of indifference returned.


	2. IOU

Nino was only kind-of, definitely, completely freaking out. He'd panic-messaged Adrien that morning after realizing he had once again forgotten about a science test until the day of.

_Yo, is there any way you can get to school early? I completely spaced on this test and I know science is your strong suit_. Sent at 7:05 am. No response. 

_Duude please save me you know I can’t do this alone._ Sent at 7:32am. No response.

_Fine, but I’ll remember this betrayal next time you don’t understand social cues_. Sent at 8:27am. School was starting and Nino was screwed. He looked around desperately for his friend. Maybe some last minute memory tricks and studying during other classes could save the day. To his disappointment, the blonde never showed. Alya leaned forward and thwacked Nino on the head. 

“Hey, where’s sunshine boy today?” She asked, grinning at the glare she received from her boyfriend. 

“I don’t know. The dude hasn’t replied to any of my messages all morning. He left me out to dry and I’m _totally_ going to fail my science exam because of it!” He dropped his head onto the desk to add a dramatic effect. 

“Test stress?” Marinette chimed in, very unhelpfully. “Ya know, Nino, we’re allowed to use a cheat sheet on the test.” The girl held up her typed sheet where he could see it and swayed it back and forth enticingly. 

Nino slowly raised his head from the desk. “No…” he whispered, staring at the perfectly organized paper. That sheet contained all the answers. The answer to life, maybe. And he wanted it desperately. He snapped his attention to Marinette’s face and narrowed his eyes at her. “What do you want for it?”. 

Before she could reply, Alya snatched it from the air and held it victoriously above both of them. “You need to do something in return for her. And I think we both know what that thing could be,” Alya gave a slight eye wiggle in her girl’s direction. She was obviously planning something. Based on how Marinette’s face went beet red, Nino had a pretty guess at what, or _who_ Alya's plan involved. But...what? What was he supposed to do? Pretending he didn’t know about Marinette’s crush and Alya’s endgame was exhausting. He’d almost suffered complete heart failure at the wax museum after butchering every sentence that spilled out of his mouth. Now this? Was Alya insinuating that he knew, or that he didn’t know? Was he supposed to play dumb or try to play wingman? Coupling with the stress of the looming test it was too much to handle at the time. Nino made a face with half-lidded eyes and a smile/grimace to show his understanding (or lack thereof) of her suggestion. 

Alya turned her attention from her best friend to her boyfriend. The smile on her face was almost instantly replaced by one of bored exasperation. The poor boy was clueless. “You’re going to get us into the Agreste fortress tonight” she explained casually, as if the task were easy. 

“And how do you expect me to do that? M. Agreste isn’t one of my biggest fans” he shot back with sass. 

“Well yeah, but Adrien is. If Mr. Model over here is missing school today, he’s gonna need help catching up. Marinette gives you her cheat sheet, and you organize a study sesh for the four of us tonight. Deal?” She stared at him with the _you don’t have a choice_ look he knew far too well. This girl was going to be the death of him. And he loved it. 

“I’ll do my best, but no promises. You know how his father is.” The three friends shared a silent agreement. Adrien’s dad was honestly ridiculously overbearing, but no one blamed him. A recluse who’d already lost his wife? It made sense. 

“Good morning my students! I can’t wait to share with you the secrets of _Oedipus_ today!” Mme. Bustier excitedly announced from the front of the class. Nino made a quick motion and snatched the cheat sheet out of Alya’s hand before everyone settled down for lecture. She just shook her head at him while Marinette shot him a “you’re welcome” smile but it went unnoticed. Dark brown eyes poured over the science notes as if they were a drug and Nino was an addict suffering withdrawal symptoms. 

**************

A tiny buzz alerted Marinette to a notification on her phone. She and Alya laid sprawled across her floor with a variety of text books, notes and fabrics surrounding them. It had been a couple hours since school ended and neither heard anything from the boys, so they decided to create their own homework time. Marinette put down her stylist and tablet but her best friend beat her to reading the message. “It’s from Adrien to a group chat he just created,” she announced. Marinette’s heart skipped a beat at the realization that her _crush_ had just sent a message to her phone (even if two others had gotten an identical message, it was still a magic moment). “He says he had a minor medical emergency last night which is why he wasn’t at school. He’s fine now but his father wants him to rest and isn’t allowing guests. So, no study session. I’m sorry girl.”

“I wonder what could’ve happened” Marinette read the text from her own phone as if re-reading the same information would provide a different outcome. “I hope it wasn’t anything too serious.” Just then a new chat bubble popped up from Nino: _What?? You okay bro? What happened?_

Another short bubble briefly explained the allergic reaction and healthy dose of sleep-inducing medication. The model assured he was perfectly fine and would be at school tomorrow. Trying to keep on the subtle side of the conversation, but still having the desperate want to text her crush, Marinette sent pictures of her notes from throughout the day as well as the list of assignments due tomorrow. Alya forced her to send a note along with it: _Glad to hear you’re feeling better! Here’s what you missed. Let us know if you need anything explained!_

As soon as she hit sent, the amateur designer realized she’d made multiple typing errors. _Glad hear to you’re better feeling!_ The first sentence was out of order and she’s misspelled ‘explained’. Marinette dejectedly laid her head face down on the floor at the failed attempt. “Alya, I can’t even text him in a _group chat_ without screwing up the words!” She moaned into the rug. The journalist simply chuckled and patted her friend’s head. The poor girl would never learn.

“You’ll get there one day, Marinette. I know you will. For now, we’ll have to hope Adrien can decipher your nonsense.” That only earned her a glare in return. Alya’s phone buzzed individually this time. A message from Nino glowed back. “Hey, Nino wants to buy us some ice cream. After all, he still owes you for saving his science grade”. The red head got to her feet and offered a hand down to the girl on the floor. 

Marinette picked her head up at the mention of sweets and accepted the help up. She was about to accompany them, but remembered her alter ego's plans for the night. “Nah, that’s okay. You two go ahead. I’ve got a couple things I want to finish up before dinner. I’ll hold on to this IOU and hit Nino when he least expects it”. 

“Pffft!” came the instant response. “I can’t wait to see what _that_ will be used for,” Alya laughed. Nothing made her happier than the thought of seeing her boyfriend caught off guard by an undeniable favor he owed Marinette.

The girls hugged quickly before Alya exited through the trap door. Marinette sat in her desk chair, enjoying the silence for a few minutes. She still had a few assignments and personal projects to finish before patrol with Chat later than evening. More often than not, she found herself overwhelmed during the evening hours to get everything done on time. Today felt different though - more relaxed - and she was not about to complain. She allowed her mind to wander for a few minutes before pulling her attention back to focus. Picking up where she left off, the girl placed her headphones in her ears and was transported to her zone of productivity. 

**************

It had been an exceptionally short day for Adrien. The sun had already set by the time he had copied Marinette’s note and finished most of the homework. An alarm on his phone started frantically buzzing, telling him it was time to leave for patrol. Adrien smiled at the thought of seeing Ladybug. At least she remained one constant in his spiraling life. The smile was quickly replaced by a puzzling look however as the teen remembered the weird message he’d opened a couple hours prior. 

It was a new, half-complete, unsent chat. _Ladybug_ had been spelled out as the contact name with a small red _x_ next to it, showing that such a contact didn’t exist in his phone. The message itself read “I nees your help Iknow hwo Hawkmoth-” and that was it. Strangely, Adrien had absolutely no recollection of typing out the message, nor did he remember why. Thinking about it sent shivers down his spine. Why had he tried to message Ladybug through a texting app? He didn’t have any way of contacting her outside their suits and the message made no sense. It was a frantic text, but he felt like he’d remember feeling that nervous about something. He would _definitely_ remember if he learned something about his arch nemesis. Was the message supposed to read “I know who Hawkmoth-” or “I know how Hawkmoth-”?

Adrien put a hand to his head as he noticed an oncoming headache. This was all too confusing for him. It has been an exceptionally strange day and he was looking forward to a mundane patrol with his lady. 

**************

Ladybug smiled as she saw a familiar black form racing towards her across the rooftops. He landed with a huff next to her and an apology immediately spilled out. “Sorry for the tardiness, my lady. I’d just woken up from a cat nap” He grinned a sarcastic smile as she groaned. What a way to start the night off. 

“You should know better by now, Chat. There’s no sleeping on duty and, unfortunately, this job is a 24/7 type of deal.” She placed her hands on her hips in a power stance and stared him down, smirking the entire time. 

“Speak for yourself. For me it’s more like 10/5 or 6/5, depending on the week. Unless you’re fighting secret akumas on your own?” he sent a small pout her way.

Ladybug replied with a gasp. “Oh! I would never! Who would foolishly self-sacrifice if I didn’t have you in battle with me!” She placed her hands on either side of her face to emphasize the sass level. 

Much to her dismay, Chat Noir seized the opportunity to flirt. His nose met hers as his smile dropped. His brilliant emerald eyes searched hers and she felt completely vulnerable. “My lady, I will always place your life before mine.” He raised her hand to his lips and gently kissed the back of it. Despite the suit, she could feel the softness of his affection.

Marinette quickly shoved him away and turned around to hide the furious blush beneath her red mask. She _hated_ when he did that. “Well, Mr. Nine Lives, I’m glad one of us can come back from the dead.” Chat opened his mouth to provide another smooth line but Ladybug turned back at him, her composure regained. She put a single finger to his lips and a single finger to her own, Silencer style. “Shhhhh, Chaton. Let’s begin patrol now, before you become unmanageable." She smirked and ran past him, throwing out her yo-yo as she did so. He could only scoff and chase after her. 

After a thorough check of the city, the two heroes found absolutely nothing. Most patrols came up empty but they kept them up to provide a reassuring presence for the citizens of Paris. They landed back at the Montparnasse Tower. It was usually either here or the Eiffel Tower where they parted ways. Something about the height helped put both heroes at ease, as they could sneak one final glance at the security of the city from higher up. The downfall was the bitter wind that whipped past them at this altitude. As the sun had set, the temperature dropped and the wind picked up greatly. The suit had done a decent job of keeping her warm thus far, but Ladybug was getting cold. 

“Well, I’m gonna call it a night. I’ll see you at the next patrol, kitty.” Ladybug sent a small wave to her partner but he stopped her before she could leave. 

“Wait!” The abruptness of his voice caught her off guard. She turned around to her partner’s diffident expression. “Ladybug, can I ask you something?”

Suddenly, red alarms started blaring in Marinette’s head. She desperately hoped he wasn’t going to pry about her love life or passionately confess his feelings again. The look he gave her at every mention of her crush was unbearable and she hated having to break his heart over and over. “Sure, Chat. Anything.”

“Well, I uh...How do I put this…” he looked down to the left as his right hand came up to rub the back of his neck. Ladybug read his body language and knew he felt anxious about something. That was his tell. “Can-can I have your phone number?” he looked up again with a very uncomfortable, internally-screaming type of smile.

“What?” Ladybug just stood in confusion. 

“Well, maybe not something as obvious as a phone number. But like, an email? We can create accounts that we use only to speak with one another for emergencies. What do you think?” He presented his best smile to her this time. It was as if he’d just finished an advertising speech, trying to sell her the newest model cat toy he knew she had no use for.

“I-I don’t know, Chat. What if someone found our accounts? Or somehow gained access to our messages? We’d both be compromised and have to give our miraculous back. You know you can contact me through your Catphone.”

“But that’s only when we’re both transformed. I need- er, I feel like we should have an emergency plan. Just in case something goes terribly wrong and we need to reach out. We’ll never use them except in the event of an absolute emergency, and even then the message can be cryptic. Please Ladybug?” 

Something about the sincerity in his voice scared the hell out of Marinette. “Chat, is something going on? Do you need help?” Her tone had suddenly dropped to be more soft and gentle.

“What!? No! Of course not!” The loud reply caught her off guard. “Well, no-but...well, yes I guess? No, I don’t know. It’s just I had this half-completed message on my phone when I woke up today. It looked as if I had tried to text you, despite not having your contact. I don’t know, maybe I tried to sleep text you? Honestly, I don’t remember typing it at all. It just made me realize that we might need something like this in the future.”

Ladybug looked at her partner carefully. “It’s not a bad idea. We’ll try the email idea first. Make an inconspicuous address, and we’ll exchange on our next patrol. Let’s use the same platform too. Deal?”

A wave of relaxation rippled through his body and he slouched over slightly. “Thank you, my lady. You have no idea what this means-”

“Don’t you _dare_ use it to flirt with me, ya hear? I swear, Chat, I’ll delete it so quickly you won’t even know-” 

“I promise, Ladybug. Emergencies only” He placed his hand over his heart and raised his right arm “Cat’s honor.”

“That’s not a thing” Ladybug grumbled to herself. Chat Noir just laughed. He bowed in her presence and went to leave, but this time it was her voice that stopped him. 

“Chat, what did the message say?” She tried to let it go but curiosity got the better of her. If he had sleep-texted her, she was dying to know what the message was. Did he honestly dream about her? She couldn’t tell if the feeling that ran through her body was nervousness or flattery. What was wrong with her?

“Oh! Well, it-it was something about Hawkmoth. Something along the lines of ‘help, I know who Hawkmoth-’ or ‘help, I know how Hawkmoth-’. That’s it. It was incomplete.” He just shrugged it off.

Ladybug bit her lip. Something about this didn’t sit right with her. “D-Do you know who Hawkmoth is? Or, do you know something about him?” Concern started filling her eyes. She tried to reassure herself it was just a weird sleep-induced illusion Chat created in his dream.

“Ha! Of course not Ladybug. You know I’d let you know immediately. Even my subconscious knows that if I tried to contact you in my sleep.” He raised an arm and pointed a finger straight at his head to draw attention to his psyche while wearing a goofy grin in an attempt to ease the heroine. She chuckled softly at his facial expression. But then it all dropped away to a genuine smile. “Thanks again, bug, for trusting me on this.” 

It took everything in Marinette’s power to not blush again. This sensitive, authentic side of Chat always caught her off guard (in a good way?), though she’d never admit it to him. It would only boost his ego. She just held out a fist for a pound-it. “Always, Chat Noir. Always.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was fun to write, 'cause I'm a sucker for Nino and platonic Ladynoir. As always, thank you for reading!


	3. 1 Step Forward 2 Steps Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien finds out, again and Gabriel is becoming unhinged.

Adrien jumped back in through his open window, and once again thanked whatever power was responsible for giving him night vision. He had no idea how Ladybug got around at night without it. As his feet quietly touched the floor, he released his transformation and felt the black and green energy fly back into the ring on his hand. Immediately his head began pounding, the headache from earlier coming back with a vengeance. _Ugh, I forgot about that,_ Adrien thought to himself. He shuffled over and flopped on his bed, laying there for a few minutes waiting for the throbbing to subside. After 15 minutes, it remained as strong as ever and he finally conceded to take some medicine. It took way too much energy to stand up and drag his feet towards his bathroom. Why was he so tired already? He’d just woken up a few hours ago.

Adrien looked at himself in the mirror once he entered the bathroom. He looked _exhausted_ , even more so than he felt. The paleness of his skin was out of place and the bags under his eyes had their own bags. He shook his head in disbelief. Makeup was magic and made him look way better for photo shoots than he did in actuality. The boy stopped and looked around the room for a minute. Why the hell had he walked in here in the first place? He thought for a moment but came up with nothing. Shrugging his shoulders, he decided to brush his teeth and prepare for bed. 

Having finished his nighttime routine, Adrien slipped into his favorite Ladybug themed pajamas and climbed into bed. He laid there for a moment, enjoying the thoughts of his lady that flowed through his mind when he remembered their conversation from earlier. Adrien suddenly threw his blankets off and in one fluid jump, landed in his desk chair. He couldn’t believe he’d almost forgotten about the email agreement. Pulling up an incognito tab, he logged in to create a separate gmail account. Hopefully Ladybug would do the same (they never did agree on what platform to use).

When it came to creating the address itself, Adrien smirked and entered _thecatsmeow_. It was perfect. Or, it would’ve been had someone not already taken it. Thus, his Chat Noir email was _thecatsmeow13@gmail_ because throwing some bad luck vibes around just felt right as the black cat miraculous holder. In settings, Adrien made sure to turn on every single privacy precaution, including blocking messages from all other email addresses. Once he had Ladybug’s contact, he’d add her and no one else. Adrien felt pretty proud of himself and was bursting with excitement. He knew he could only message her for emergencies, but having a method of contact for his lady was exhilarating. 

Adrien went to climb back into bed but suddenly became keenly aware of his throbbing headache again. Hadn’t he taken medicine to alleviate this? He couldn’t remember if he had but figured one more pain reliever wouldn’t hurt given the intensity. Unfortunately, he came up empty. No medication was stored in his room, only towels, toiletries and his travel containers. He puzzled at the latter as he thought he remembered having more empty bottles. As a model, it was common for him to have to bring hair products or face wash with him to photo shoots. He shrugged off the concern. Besides, he hated having to gunk up his hair. Maybe he could use the lack of containers as an excuse to forget certain products next time. 

The pounding headache kept him from getting too distracted. Adrien sighed and realized he needed to go ask his father for some medication, which he was not thrilled about. Father preferred more natural methods for reasons he refused to explain, something about it being a safer course of action. Adrien was honestly shocked his father had given him any kind of medicine the night before to counteract his ‘medical emergency’. The teen briefly wondered if the allergic reaction was causing his headache as he shuffled out of his room. The whole situation was strange and honestly seemed surreal.

As the blonde approached the stairs, he noticed a small beam of light emerging from the office as well as his father’s voice booming from beyond the door. The noise irritated his already throbbing head but came as no surprise. Father tended to throw temper tantrums when he worked into the night. As Adrien drew closer, he began to make out some of what the man was saying.

“Nothing else is going to work, Nathalie! I can’t think of any other options.” Adrien could visualize his father pinching his nose out of irritation. But why was he speaking with Nathalie? She should’ve gone home by this point. Adrien felt guilty eavesdropping and knocked on the door gently. Instead of waiting for an invitation to enter, he gingerly pushed the door open to find the office a complete mess, almost as bad as when his father had been akumatized. Papers were thrown everywhere, a poor mannequin lay dented and beaten up in the corner and the couches were out of place, as if someone had kicked them just because they wanted to.

“Adrien!” His father yelled loudly, sounding really caught off guard. The volume caused his son to wince. This headache was impossible. “What are you doing here? Nathalie said you went to bed hours ago.” Adrien didn’t even react at the levels of anger in the man’s voice. 

“I apologize for the interruption, Father. It’s just, I think I have a migraine and was wondering if we had any medicine to help.” Adrien lifted his green eyes to meet steel blue ones, but never got that far. He suddenly became hypnotized by his mother’s golden portrait looming from behind his father. The golden tones glowed brighter than everything else in the room and he quickly found himself entranced. It was almost as if something was calling him to the painting. He felt the unexplainable urge to get closer and run his fingers over it. The geometric shapes acted as elements of a 3D movie and seemed to pop off the canvas, beckoning him to push them back into their places. It was hypotonic and Adrien was completely distracted. 

“-holistic methods, unless it's an emergency. Is it an emergency?” Adrien only heard the end of his father’s rant. 

“No, no...it's not. I’m...I’m just gonna head back…” he still couldn’t pull his eyes off the painting. He heard his father huff and whisper a sharp “Goodnight,” as he turned back to the tablet. Adrien began closing the door to the office, finally ripping his attention from the portrait. When he did, a sensation of wrongness settled over him. _I need to look at the portrait,_ was his only cognizant thought. His hand still held the doorknob tightly and left it open slightly so a small crack remained. The boy crouched down and peered inside, staring back at his mother’s portrait. A feeling of warmth resonated through him again and he didn’t know if he could ever bring himself to look away. _Why was it so captivating?_

Although it was not his intention, Adrien caught details of his father’s conversation. He heard Nathalie’s voice over a speaker. Father must have been video-chatting her. “We can’t keep putting him through this. I’m concerned about the physical effects it might impose.” What were they talking about? “Besides, won’t it all be restored next time Ladybug uses her cure?”

“I’m not sure…” his father trailed off. Adrien was still locked in a staring contest with his mother’s green eyes. “Tomorrow evening, I’ll create an akuma. Watch Adrien closely. Once Chat Noir and Ladybug defeat it and she calls for the cure, we’ll deal with whatever aftermath results.”

Adrien couldn’t stop the audible gasp that escaped his lips. _What did his father just say?_ But he knew exactly what those words meant. Even though he’d heard only a small portion of the conversation, he knew exactly what was going on. Like a puzzle he’d had when he was a toddler, the empty spots were all there. He just has to find the correctly shaped pieces and put them back in where they fit. Finally peeling his eyes from the portrait he realized his father was staring directly at him through the gap in the door. Never before had Adrien ever felt such fear. At that moment, he felt his father wanted to kill him. _Hawkmoth_ wanted to kill him. So he did what anyone would do and fled, running directly towards the entrance of the compound. 

He threw the doors open, slamming the heel of his hand into the “open” button for the gate. His legs broke into a full out sprint and he was gone in an instant. He ran and ran and ran until his lungs burned. Adrien pulled himself into an alley and sank to the ground, clutching his head. It screamed in pain, but was muffled by the terror that ran through every inch of his body. The young hero took a few moments and tried to categorize his thoughts to prevent himself from going completely psychotic.

 _Father is Hawkmoth. Nathalie knows. Father is Hawkmoth. Father is Hawkmoth. Father is Hawk-move on, Adrien!_ He took a deep breath and began again, speaking out loud this time.

“Father is Hawkmoth. Nathalie knows. They’re concerned about Ladybug curing something. _But what?_ ” It sounded like they wanted to observe Adrien during the akuma fight. Oh shit, did they know he was Chat Noir? He had always been so careful around them! Besides, even if they knew, their conversation was more concerned about the miraculous cure, rather than the heroes themselves. None of this made sense. 

“Adrien!” his father’s furious voice cut through the teen’s internal monologue. He had to leave, but where could he go? Getting up from the ground, he realized he needed to contact Ladyb-

His knees buckled and sent him crashing into the brick wall behind him.

“The text message…” he uttered out of horror. This had all happened before. He _had_ figured out something about Hawkmoth. He _was_ in danger. He _desperately_ needed help. He just had no idea until now. The sounds of the predator were drawing closer. Adrien looked around and realized he’d run into a dead end alley. Of course, it was just his luck. He knew he’d get caught if he ran and he knew he’d be caught if he stayed. There were no other options. He pulled out his phone, going to his notes and began frantically typing. _Father is Hawkmoth Nathalie knows Ive discoverd this before but forgot for some resaon email LB not safe here not safe!_

Adrien left the tab open but locked his phone, slipping it back into his pocket just as his father peered into the alley. His steely blue eyes glared at the teen sitting on the filthy ground. Adrien brought himself to a shaky standing position and balled his hands into fists. Any love he had felt for this man was tangled with intense anger and confusion. As much as he wanted to listen and give his father a chance to explain, an overwhelming sense of survival was kicking in and the teen knew he needed to get away as soon as he could. 

“Adrien, you need to stop this. Just listen, I can explain” Adrien wasn’t listening. He debated transforming. The element of surprise would probably be enough to confuse his father, but he didn’t want to risk it. What if his father already knew he was Chat and would be unaffected by the reveal? It wasn’t worth risking his identity as it might be his last power play further down the line. Instead, he settled for a rusty pipe thrown to the side of the alley and assumed a fighting stance. 

“Don’t take another step toward me. You’re going to let me go or I won’t hold back.” He raised his weapon slightly above his head to appear more threatening.

“Please, don’t be foolish. Just put it down and let’s talk-” Adrien took the moment to catch his father off guard and pounced. His father dodged the swing and used his foot to knock Adrien off his own. The back of his white shirt slammed into the ground and his father placed a forearm over his chest, effectively pinning him down. Desperate for another option, he looked the man over for a piece of jewelry that might’ve been a miraculous, but noticed nothing. No necklace, no earrings, no pins, no rings....nothing.

“I swear, I’m doing this to protect you.” He pulled a small needle out of his jacket pocket and Adrien’s eyes went wide. The liquid inside was glowing an intense blue, as if it were radioactive. He struggled to throw the man off but he just couldn’t. His head still felt like it was about to explode and no matter how hard he tried, his heart wasn’t in it. He couldn’t bring himself to fight his father. 

The needle punctured Adrien’s neck, causing him to cry out. Everything in his sight quickly began to glow, resembling the very liquid with which he was injected. Seeing the world like this was terrifying. It just reminded him how messed up everything was and how he had taken his old, typical life for granted. But then again, what was so bad? Adrien couldn’t recall why he felt so anxious all of a sudden. Slowly, everything faded back to normal and the teen was struggling to keep his eyes open. He tried to hold on to his previous revelations but they all slipped from him. His muscles relaxed and his eyes fluttered closed as his body forced him to surrender to the pull of unconsciousness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Someone call CPS pls. As always, thank you for reading!


	4. Splinters and Blushes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A fluffy, Adrinette chapter!

She was not prepared. 

Marinette had forgotten she had turned her alarm volume to its maximum as a new method of making sure she didn’t sleep in. At exactly 7:30 in the morning, a piercingly loud melody screamed right next to her ear. As the only appropriate response, she threw herself off her bed. She hit the floor with a massive  _ boom _ that Marinette was sure echoed through the entire building. She sat up and groaned, rubbing her tailbone. A small knock came from her trap door.

“Everything alright up there?” her mom’s voice questioned. 

“Yeah. I just fell out of bed, that’s all…” the girl didn’t want to find the motivation to move. That was not a pleasant start to the morning. She sat in a tangled mess on her floor for a while, just pouting about not being asleep. Waking up was not her forte.

Eventually her other alarm went off, letting her know she needed to leave  _ now  _ or she’d be late to class. Marinette just glared at the chiming device. She really hated waking up. Pulling strength from who-knows-where, the teen finally pushed herself off the floor and changed into her day clothes. She quickly tied her hair back into their signature pigtails, shoved her homework into her backpack and ran down the many stairs to the bakery. 

She shot out the front door, holding a few mini quiche her mother had put in a bag for her in anticipation of her having to skip a sit-down breakfast. Within seconds Marinette was outside the school. She leaped up the steps and entered the building just as the doors were closing. She grabbed the metal railing to the stairs and practically threw herself up them, getting to the classroom door just as Mme. Bustier was quieting the class down. For one gullible moment, Marinette believed she’d made it to school without being embarrassingly late and making a fool out of herself. 

Oh, how she was wrong. 

Her foot tripped on something (air?) as she passed through the doorway. The momentum she had been carrying propelled her forward at a surprising rate and she  _ flew _ into the classroom, ending in an unceremonious pile of  _ ouch _ front and center on the floor. There were some gasps, some snickers and a loud smack from Alya’s face-palm. But Marinette was mainly concerned with the fact that she had fallen right where Adrien had the perfect view of it all.

The blonde boy immediately got up and helped his clumsy classmate where she lay on the floor. Marinette took Adrien’s hand and blushed deeply as he pulled her up. She quickly observed the damage. The poor little quiches had been squished into the afterlife by her chest. Her backpack had thankfully stayed closed and no papers went flying. She did a quick once-over of herself and noticed the only injuries were scratches on her right palm, with numerous splinters. A tiny amount of blood was visible but it wasn’t a major issue. She was just gonna suck it up and focus on getting the wood out of her skin instead of paying attention in class. 

Someone else had a different idea.

“Mme Bustier, Marinette’s bleeding a little and she’ll need some bandaids. Would you mind if I accompanied her to the nurse? I’ve got a pretty bad headache too. I was hoping to get something for it.” Adrien’s voice pleaded from in front of her. Marinette felt her eyes go wide. She panickedly looked at Alya. Had she somehow managed to set this up? It was possible to plan on Marinette being clumsy but to plan  _ around _ Marinette being clumsy was something else entirely. 

The auburn haired girl simply smiled cruelly and sent a thumbs up back. Marinette hadn’t even heard the teacher’s response before Adrien gently tugged her wrist and led her out the door. This had to just be dumb luck. Maybe her Ladybug influence was finally overflowing into her civilian life. Most of the time it seemed like she had Chat’s bad luck instead of her supposed 'good luck'. Maybe today was a turning point? She snapped herself back to the present and the idea that another tall, attractive, blonde boy was standing surprisingly close to her. Her cheeks began to heat up and she prayed that he didn’t notice her blushing. 

Neither of them were talking, resulting in a painfully awkward silence.

She spent too long trying to think of something to say and by that point it had been too long since anything had been said. Should she make a joke? Laugh uncomfortably? Should she still try and say something clever? Something kind? Should she confess her love? Maybe a compliment on his perfect body?  _ Woah, reel it back in there _ . That might be a little much. 

Marinette refused to look at Adrien’s face to avoid awkward eye contact but the quiet between them was killing her. _ I need to say something! _ She was majorly overthinking everything. 

_ Finally _ the boy broke the silence. “Other than your hands, are you okay? That was a pretty spectacular fall.” He glanced her up and down for injuries but instantly realized it probably looked like he was checking her out. That was  _ not _ his intention. His eyes went wide and he sent a smile he hoped looked sincere and not creepy. He did an internal facepalm at his inability to act normally around people.  _ This _ is probably why she felt so uncomfortable around him. 

Marinette did her best to not die at the fact that Adrien had just checked her out. Yeah, she knew it was just a friendly gesture to make sure there weren’t any other injuries. But to a girl madly in love, her  _ crush  _ had just  _ checked her out! _ Marinette suddenly remembered the question he had asked and how long it was taking her to reply. 

She quickly tried to reassure him, “Nya-nah-no! I mean, yeah!” she stuttered. He continued his weird smile, but then furrowed his brows at something internally and his entire facial expression changed to something more serious. Marinette suddenly found her voice “Are  _ you _ okay?”

“Yeah, I’ve just had this terrible headache for a couple days now. Father tries not to allow non-natural medicine unless it's a true emergency. So, I’m going to see if I can go behind his back” He sent a cute, rebellious smile back at her that she’d never seen before. Marinette promptly imploded.

Oh, she was  _ so _ not prepared. 

**************

Nurse Isaac was not surprised to see Marinette Dupain-Cheng back in the office, once again requesting bandaids. She visited so often that he’d debated dedicating a drawer to her specifically. How one girl got injured so often was beyond him, but he was always glad to have her company. 

Today, she arrived accompanied by a stranger. Or, he would’ve been a stranger had his face not been plastered around the entirety of Paris. The nurse still failed to come up with a name for the boy, but he smiled at both of his guests. “How nice of you to come visit me again, Marinette. What is it that you’ve managed to do to yourself this time?” She smiled, clearly embarrassed and presented her splintered hand. The older man grimaced, but didn’t look the least bit surprised. 

“Ouch. What happened?”

The tall blonde next to Marinette responded first. “She tripped while running into the classroom and her hand took the brunt of the fall. It was pretty epic though, if I do say.” Marinette could only blush furiously. 

Isaac patted the seat next to the desk. It was a small room with only the desk and a few chairs to occupy. Half of the room was sectioned off with a white sheet and a cot lay on the other side for more serious situations. “Take a seat. Thank you for accompanying her down here, young man. You should probably return to class.”

Marinette was more than capable of handling herself, and the man silently wondered why this boy had found it necessary to walk her down when she only had a minor injury on her hand. 

“Actually sir, I’ve had a pretty bad headache all day. Is there anything you can give me for it?”  _ Ah, that’s why _ . The nurse had already started taking supplies out of a drawer. He stopped at the boy's request and turned to his computer, pulling up a sort of student database. 

“Name?” the man prompted.

“Adrien Agreste.” 

Yep, that sounded familiar. This was definitely the famous model kid. Isaac was quiet as he looked through the boy’s medical file. “It says we’re not to administer any medication without parental consent. Would you like me to call your Father?” Adrien looked pretty ticked off, but covered it quickly with a smile. Clearly, that was not the answer he wanted to hear. 

“No, that’s fine.” Only Marinette heard him grumble “he won’t answer anyway,” before he pulled his attention back to her. 

“Are you sure you’re okay, Marinette?” and offered a kind smile that almost stopped her heart. She nodded then immediately winced as Isaac brushed her hand gently with an alcoholic pad. 

“Sorry, Marinette. Just bare with me for a little bit, here.” He pulled out a pair of tweezers and slowly approached the first piece of wood. A small amount of digging was required before he was able to get a good grip on it and pull it out. Without meaning to, Marinette had reached out with her other hand to grab onto something. That something was Adrien’s wrist. Both of their faces heated up at the contact, hers more so than his. 

Isaac had looked up at his patient’s for a reaction to the pain, but witnessed matching blushes from the teens. He internally sighed at the sight of all this. Technically, Adrien should be shooed out, back to class. But Marinette had become a regular and he had a sweet spot for her. Besides, these two obviously had feelings for one another. The cute hand-holding did not escape his attention either and he shook his head slightly at the scene. 

So the man thought  _ the hell with it _ and gestured for the teenager to stay. “Splinters can be pretty brutal. Why don’t you stay to give her something to hold on to?” Adrien looked back at Marinette for approval of his presence before he relaxed his muscles and leaned against the door, he adjusted the grip and wrapped his hand firmly around hers. 

Marinette would’ve believed she was in heaven, if not for the annoying pinpricks she kept feeling on her other palm. She actually had a very high pain tolerance having been clumsy her entire life. The only reason she reached for something to hold was because the initial feeling had startled her. She internally wondered if it was a flight or fight response of some kind. At this point, she’d had to save Adrien multiple times as Ladybug. Was it becoming second nature to grab him and run away from ‘danger’?

_ Wait _ , she thought internally, _I am_ Ladybug. _ I am suave. Just channel the hero side of you. She never gets flustered in the face of danger...or in the face of Adrien Agreste. _ Of course she knew that Ladybug did absolutely get flustered in the face of Adrien, but marginally less. All she needed to do was have confidence in herself. She looked back up at the blonde who was intensely focused on the nurse working on the splinters.

When he felt her gaze, he turned up and offered a smile. Marinette stopped herself from grimacing and stared back at him with a superheroine-level of confidence. She offered a smile. “Thanks for staying with me,” her voice was small, but the sentence was coherent. She even squeezed his hand for emphasis.  _ I’m doing it! Alya would be so proud! _

To her dismay, the nurse took that moment to reach for the splinter most embedded in her skin. That one actually hurt and caused the girl to wince. Unfortunately, she channeled her alter-ego a little too much and the gentle squeeze she was giving to Adrien became a bone-crushing grip. He was the one who cried out in pain just as the nurse pulled out the final piece of the wood. The blonde pulled away and held his throbbing hand in the other. 

“The worst part is over, now for the clean up,” the older man announced as he began re-wiped the hand with another alcohol pad. Adrien felt bad at his reaction and offered his hand back to Marinette. She took it and offered a tiny apology accompanied by a sheepish smile. It was returned and both smiled at each other like love-struck morons. Again, the gesture did not go unnoticed by Isaac. 

Each quickly turned away when they felt the man’s eyes on them, but remained hand-in-hand until the last band-aid was in place. “You’re all set and ready to return to class,” Nurse Isaac announced. He turned to Adrien. “Thank you for staying with her. I’ve been on the receiving end of her hand squeezes and they’re anything but gentle.” He offered a smile and a wink to Marinette who huffed out another apology, but thanked the man for his help. She knew she’d probably be back here in a week or two. 

The two students were walking out when Marinette suddenly turned around. “Actually, sir, could I have some pain medication? My hand is still hurting from the fall and all the splinters.” The nurse eyed her suspiciously. He could’ve guessed her endgame but didn’t try to and pulled out a small bottle of acetaminophen. There was no need to check her medical file, as the man nearly had it memorized. He handed the girl a paper cup with two ovular pills in it. 

“Just promise me you’ll try to be careful from now on.”

Marinette took the cup with glee. “I’ll do my best.” The older man waved the two kids off and chuckled. Those two were clueless about their feelings for each other. 

**************

As soon as they were out of view from the nurse’s office, Marinette offered the paper cup to Adrien. “My hands don’t actually hurt. Here, these are for you.” From the incredulous look he gave her, she knew he was surprised. 

“R-really?” She nodded and he graciously took the cup. “You’re the best, Marinette!” They stopped at a drinking fountain and the boy took his medicine. He sighed afterwards, hoping it would kick in soon. This migraine was going to kill him if it kept on like this. 

He was stupidly lucky to have a friend who would be clever and kind enough to do what Marinette had just done for him. He turned around and opened his arms to her, offering a hug out of pure relief. 

Marinette’s face turned red but she accepted the gesture. It was a short embrace, as both pulled away quickly to avoid making it awkward. “Thank you, really, thank you.” Adrien told her again. More blood rushed to her face. It was definitely noticeable. 

They made their way back into the classroom and the entire class snapped their heads up to see who was entering. Marinette looked at the floor and made her way quietly to her seat. She sat down and tried to focus on the lesson, but found it impossible.  _ Adrien had hugged her!  _ His height made for the perfect embrace, enveloping her completely and bringing a sense of safety she usually only felt with her parents or Chat. She zoned out, staring at Adrien's perfect blonde hair and drifted off in thought. 

She daydreamed about her and Adrien’s wedding. It was going to be outside, of course. Maybe in a beautiful, enclosed garden, with lots and lots of flowers. They would be bright green, like his eyes. And a gorgeous gold, like his hair. The other half of the flowers would be blue, like her eyes. A massive bouquet of the three colors would symbolize their union-

A paper was shoved into her left arm and Marinette snapped her head to look at Alya passing a note. A short message was scribbled on it:  _ A mutual blush as you two walked in?? What happened girl? Details!  _

Marinette simply mouthed back “Best. Day. Ever.” before returning to her fantasy. 

She daydreamed for the rest of the class. And then through the entire next class. She daydreamed through lunch and the rest of the school day. In art club, Marinette said very few words and accidentally discovered herself sketching out wedding dress designs. When she got home, she daydreamed through most of her homework and even wrote “Marinette Agreste” as one of the answers to her math homework. Nothing was going to break her from this blissful, Adrien-induced trance. 

Then the akuma attacked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was completely unplanned, but it wrote itself. I love these two and this scene forced itself into the story. Sorry, not sorry. Thank you for reading!


	5. Notice Me

The Ladyblog was blowing up with reports of Hawkmoth’s latest victim. Marinette’s eyes flew through the comments from subscribers, searching for a location. She finally found a post by someone called ‘ladybug’s12thspot’. _What kind of username was that?_ Pushing past the confusion, Marinette viewed the photo the stranger posted. A small-framed akuma was gowned in an atrocious black and yellow dress, like personified caution tape. A tiny traffic cone hat sat atop their head. Their eyes were reflective, like street signs, and in their left hand, they clutched a small plushie. A sarcastic comment accompanied the image: “Everyone meet Descry!😱😱”

Hawkmoth had akumatized a child. Again. What was actually wrong with that man?

Marinette searched the picture for a hint as to the location. Though most of the frame was filled with the akuma and terrified tourists, the exterior of a famous glass pyramid was visible in the background. Of course, the Louvre. Because it wouldn’t be an akuma attack without damage to one of Paris’s famous attractions. Internalizing her eye roll, Marinette stood up from her chair, ran up her bed and on to her balcony. In the blink of an eye, she transformed into Ladybug and swung her way through the city. 

She landed on a nearby roof and watched her opponent for a moment, preparing a game plan before charging. Luckily, this was one of Hawkmoth’s more silly ideas and no physical harm or destruction was coming to any bystander. Descry’s power simply seemed to be making people sad. A blinding yellow beam shot out from the plushie when they aimed it at a civilian, causing the poor soul to fall to their knees and start bawling like a child. About 50 people sat on the ground, some laid on their sides and a surprising majority were sucking their thumbs. Having gained a good amount of information, Ladybug stood and prepared for battle. Better to end these poor people’s humiliation sooner rather than later. 

She opened her yo-yo and quickly dialed her partner. The device didn’t even ring before the infuriating “Cat got your tongue? Leave a message!” voicemail spoke out to her. Ladybug fumed. She _hated_ Chat’s voicemail. It sounded so smirk and pushed every single button she had. She was fairly certain he had created it for that exact purpose, to further irk her when she was already irked at his absence. She snapped her bugphone closed without leaving a message. Looks like she was going at this one alone, for now. 

Ladybug flew onto the scene just in time to block a shot with her spinning yo-yo and save a civilian some time to run away. “Hey! Descry!” she taunted, “What’s got you so bent out of shape?” Because if Chat had taught her anything, it was that pissing off enemies was just downright entertaining. Ladybug expected aggressive banter in return but received quite the opposite.

Upon seeing the hero, Descry dropped to the ground (they had previously been floating about 2 feet in the air) and ran up to her, completely vulnerable. The child held out the plushie to Ladybug with tears in their eyes. “This is where the butterfly is! I want my mommy! Please help me find her!”

This was...new. Ladybug hesitantly reached out and grabbed the plushie, ripping it in half before any trap could be set into action. To her utter surprise, an akuma flew out and the child was transformed back into their original form - an adorable toddler in a little pair of overalls. The butterfly was purified and just like that, the battle was over. Marinette learned the child’s name - Addison - and that they had lost their mother in the crowd. Shaggy hair covered their face as tears started to emerge again but from the background, Ladybug could hear the parent yelling their kid’s name. Soon, both were reunited and all was well - save for the couple dozen depressed adults lying around her. 

Still trying to believe the akuma immediately surrendered, Ladybug threw her yo-yo into the air in place of the lucky charm she never had the chance to call. Waves of gorgeous ladybug energy flew all around the Louvre fixing all the damage. Just like that, Ladybug’s job was done and she could get back to her Adrien-centered-daydreams. 

A gentle tap on the shoulder caught her attention before she left the scene. Alya stood behind her, phone tilted on its side, clearly recording. “Can I ask just a few questions since you’ve still got time left?”

Marinette pondered if she felt like doing an interview at the moment. She decided she had no reason to say no and sent a nod and smile to the LadyBlogger. 

“Way cool!” came the immediate answer. “Okay, for the official record, was this the fastest akuma battle ever?”

“Uh...I’ve never actually timed any of them, but... I guess?” 

“What happened there at the end?”

“Descry obviously wasn’t happy being used as a pawn. They gave up their object and I was able to purify them within minutes of their akumatization. See, Hawkmoth? Even your ‘champions’ despise your plans to evilise them.” Ladybug looked pointedly at the camera. She always suspected that Hawkmoth viewed the Ladyblog, why wouldn’t he? It was free, public information on his enemies. The fact that he had access to such information never bothered Marinette, though. Instead, she enjoyed using it as a method to taunt him. 

Alya’s next question caught Ladybug off guard “Why didn’t Chat Noir show up?” 

Ladybug could feel herself subconsciously frown at the realization that the cat hero still hadn’t arrived. That really bothered her. “You saw yourself how quickly this one was over. He probably didn’t have enough time to even make it here. Thanks for the interview, but I gotta fly. Bug out!”

As she zipped away, she could hear Alya addressing her viewers, telling them to stay tuned and subscribe to notifications from the Ladyblog. Marinette hoped her exit didn’t seem rushed, but deep down she knew it did. Chat missing an akuma wasn’t typical, even if her answer to the question had been the actual case. She landed on a random roof and pulled out her bugphone, dialing the other hero. The same voicemail answered without ringing. He still wasn’t transformed. 

Marinette sighed and flew back to her house. They had patrol tomorrow night together. She’d have to wait until then to ask him about his behavior as of late. His strange behavior and absence didn’t add up to a pretty picture at first glance. But, there were multiple other explanations. She didn’t know much about his civilian life and it was unfair of her to assume things of him without asking the boy himself first. 

She landed behind the chimney next to her balcony and released her transformation. Carefully, she climbed over and landed next to the glass trapdoor. It was Marinette’s favorite kind of weather outside. The temperature was comfortable, but not too warm, perfect weather for a light jacket. A stronger breeze pushed past her and a familiar scent told of a storm on the horizon. The clouds were gray, but didn’t threaten to open up yet. It was perfect.

A break from homework to enjoy the weather wasn’t a bad idea. Especially considering she had expected the battle to be much longer than it actually was. 

She plopped onto her lawn chair and pulled out her phone. Immediately, she pulled up her best friend’s blog and clicked to enlarge the latest video to full screen. It might’ve been weird, but Marinette always watched the ‘interviews’ of herself, to double check that she hadn’t said anything strange or too revealing. It also showed Alya that Marinette was keeping up with every post, which was important to their friendship. 

The girl cringed at the sound of her own voice. She swore she sounded more suave in real life than it did in the video. Each answer had an underlying tone of nervousness that made Ladybug sound much less confident than he had intended. Descry may have been an easy akuma, but that wasn't necessarily good. Marinette couldn't shake the feeling that Hawkmoth was planning something bigger. She sighed deeply. _Always on the defensive, never the offensive_.

Her eyes turned back to the video just in time to see herself answer the last question and leave suddenly. _Ugh, that was really hasty_. Her exit was just as bad as she thought. Although it didn't necessarily bother her that it was easy to see she was worried about Chat, it also showed a weakness that she feared would be exploited. As a superhero, one of the only factors that stopped her from collapsing under the weight of her responsibilities was her partner. As the Ladybug in the video clearly displayed, without her partner, she'd be a fumbling mess.

_T_ _hat damn cat has some explaining to do_. 

**************

By the time Adrien got home from fencing practice, his headache was back. The bright lights of the foyer were piercing and he squinted his eyes in response. Nathalie instructed him that he was to go directly to his room and practice the piano for the next 90 minutes. He sighed and complied, having nothing better to do. What he found strange was Nathalie’s presence the entire time he practiced. After the first few minutes, he told her that it was okay to leave. He didn’t plan on escaping any time soon. 

“Thank you, Adrien. But, I do enjoy hearing you play. Please, continue” she said in a monotone voice. Was...was that a compliment? Adrien chuckled to himself. That was some rare candy right there. He continued playing. About half way through the session he heard his phone vibrate numerous times from its place on the table. He paused, making an effort to stand up and check the messages but Nathalie stopped him. 

“Your 90 minutes is not quite over. Do you need a break for water?” Yeah, having Nathalie watch him for an hour and a half was becoming uncomfortable. It was like being baby sat when he’d done nothing wrong. Nevertheless, he stopped his motion and sat back down on the bench, shaking his head at her offer of water.

He eventually lost track of time and just kept playing until he was able to fully make it through his latest song with no mistakes. 

Nathalie checked her phone for a specific message from Gabriel. It finally chimed to reveal the text. _The cure was activated. Any changes?_ She watched the boy in front of her. There were no magic ladybugs swirling around him, no eyes widening in realization, no surprised/horrified gasps. Absolutely no change in demeanor. Honestly, she was surprised. 

Her reply to Gabriel was short. _No, sir._ She looked up when the music stopped to see Adrien staring at her expectantly, begging to be done for the day. She decided the poor teenager had enough of her watching over him and returned his pleading look with a small nod. 

“Good work today, I think you’ve made great progress. Thank you for sharing your music with me. Have a good evening, Adrien.” And with that she finally left. Adrien was finally able to release the stress from his shoulders. That had been...awkward. But it was also nice to know that she enjoyed his playing. That was the closest thing to a compliment he’d received in a while in regards to his musical abilities.

Unfortunately, homework was up next. It was already early evening and there were multiple assignments to get done before tomorrow. The blonde sighed and dove head first into his studies, taking it like a marathon and not giving up until it was done completely. The sun had set by the time he’d finished the race and with the night sky came storm clouds. Great, another aggressor for his pounding headache. He reflected on today’s events and again silently thanked Marinette for being so clever. Maybe she’d be willing to bring him some medicine for the next time he saw her. His father was clearly against it and it didn’t seem like this headache curse was leaving anytime soon. 

Adrien picked up his phone for the first time in hours to text Marinette but was immediately bombarded by a myriad of notifications, most of them from the Labyblog. “Newest Akuma: Descry @ the Louvre.” Adrien’s blood pressure immediately spiked. 

“ _Shit!_ I missed an akuma?! ” he frantically scrolled down the page for more information about the battle. _Please be okay...please be okay...please be-_ he came across an interview with Ladybug after the victim had been purified. 

_“Okay, for the official record, was this the fastest akuma battle ever?”_

_“Uh...I’ve never actually timed any of them, but... I guess?”_ Ladybug didn’t sound confident in her answer. 

_“What happened there at the end?”_

_“Descry obviously wasn’t happy being used as a pawn. They gave up their object and I was able to purify them within minutes of the akumatization. See, Hawkmoth? Even your champions despise your plans to evilize them.”_ Ladybug looked pointedly at the camera. Chat snickered with pride. He adored his lady’s sass, especially when it was aimed at the old moth man. But, the akuma gave up their object? That had never happened before. Something weird was going on.

_“Why didn’t Chat Noir show up?”_ Ouch, that one was a personal attack. 

_“You saw yourself how quickly this one was over. He probably didn’t have enough time to even make it here. Thanks for the interview, but I gotta fly. Bug out!”_ Adrien noticed the unnatural smile Ladybug gave before she left the view of the camera and instantly knew what it meant. 

That question had unnerved her. His poor partner was worried at the absence of Chat Noir and it showed, at least to him. Adrien felt absolutely terrible. Luckily, the fight wasn’t much of a fight, but he wouldn’t have been able to live with himself if it had been. He’d left his love, his partner alone to face certain danger and that was not sitting right with him. He got up out of his chair quickly and pulled his transformation from his ring, feeling it cover him instantly.

It didn’t take long for him to leap out of his room and onto the nearest roof. He ran across the Paris buildings, keeping a keen eye out for any blurs of red. He ran around for nearly an hour before stopping at one of the Eiffel tower’s higher observation decks. The storm clouds loomed ominously above him, threatening to break open at any moment. Although his head still throbbed all over, the cool, fresh air seemed to help a bit. The hero stood there for a while before deciding to head home. He had patrol with Ladybug the next day. He’d have to wait until then to apologize to her profusely for not being there for her. 

It was late when he finally made it back home, and Adrien was exhausted. Harboring this migraine honestly took too much energy. He was about to send the text regarding the medicine to Marinette but stopped at the last minute. She’d already helped him out so much, he felt bad asking for more. Instead, he sent a message to Nino asking the same favor. Nino replied almost instantly, happy to help out his best bud. 

Adrien quickly completed his evening routine and climbed into bed, ready for some quality sleep. To his knowledge, that was the end of the day’s events. 

**************

The next few mornings Adrien woke up to his migraine getting worse and worse. Each day he was convinced the pain couldn’t possibly increase and each day he was wrong. Luckily, Nino had started bringing some pain medication, insisting that Adrien had asked him to. Upon further investigation, he found that Nino was right. Oddly enough, he didn’t remember sending the text at all, but thanked his past self, regardless. After about a week, Nino just gave Adrien the entire bottle, telling him to have it as he’d gone through most of the pills anyway. The boy shamefully accepted the gift. 

“Yo, bro, you’ve got to do something about these headaches.” Nino mentioned while in the library. The D.J. had decided it was lunchtime and tried to eat but desperately struggled to stuff a salad into his mouth. “Stupid big pieces of lettuce…” he muttered before he was finally able to successfully chomp down. 

“I know. I think it’s just the weather changing - it’s been pretty inconsistent lately - but I’m going to talk to my father tonight.” Adrien pulled out his phone to pull up some ideas for easing a headache. The MayoClinic recommended sitting in a dark room, hot/cold compresses, massages, and the medicine he was already taking. None of it seemed like a cure-all. Dejectedly, Adrien swiped out of the app and closed all the other open apps while he was at. He noticed his notes tab was open, again (it had been pulled up for the past couple of days, despite Adrien never previously using the notes application). He closed it without looking into it further. He must’ve accidentally clicked at some point.

“Ya know...the internet recommends a temple massage,” Adrien looked at his best friend with puppy dog eyes. 

Nino stopped mid-chew and looked back at the blonde. He swallowed his bite and replied sarcastically, “Only if your photographer documents the process and we make it into the next _Agreste_ magazine”

Adrien nearly choked on his own spit. He briefly entered a coughing fit which quickly degraded into laughter. “Oh, _hell_ yeah. Full page, front cover only. I can see the headline now: ‘Local D.J. Transfers Record-Scratching Skills to Temple Scratching for Model Adrien Agreste.”

“You know it dude,” Nino’s made the little ‘wikki-wikki’ motion with one hand while putting his other hand to his ear, the classic D.J. pose. His smile was contagious. Adrien just laughed until they fell into a comfortable silence, both turning their attention back to their school work and salad, respectfully.

It was becoming more and more difficult to focus with his brain constantly aching, but Adrien was determined to ignore it. He’d deal with that issue when he got home. If everything went well, he’d finally get some actual help from his father when he mentioned the severity of his headaches tonight.

Even if he didn’t though, he knew Nino would have his back. And that kind of support was priceless to Adrien. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise I'm not dragging this out, next chapter is when shit gets real. If you have time, I'd love to hear what you like in this fic and what you'd like to see more/less of! As always, thank you for reading!


	6. Catharsis

Marinette was going to _kill_ that stupid cat if he missed one more patrol.

She’d been sitting at their meeting point for 15 minutes now, and he had still yet to show, _again._ They were supposed to meet every other night and he’d been absent four times in a row. Recently, she’d been coming out every night in the hopes that he’d simply gotten the schedule confused, but to no avail. With a strange lack of akumas, she hadn’t seen him in more than a week and it felt utterly wrong. He’d shown up to patrol the day after Descry ‘attacked’ but that was it. His behavior had been light hearted but something still seemed off. 

_“What’s this?” the blonde asked as she handed him a strip of paper._

_“My email address. I used gmail, assuming you would do the same.”_

_His eyes went wide and he shoved the paper back at her. “Y-your email?? You can’t just give me something this personal! I could totally figure out your identity!” He looked at the ground and then quickly turned his attention back up to her. A smoulder appeared on his face. “Unless, that is, my lady wishes to finally reveal herself to me”_

_Yeah, she was gonna kill him. “You dope, it’s not my real email. It’s the one I created for emergencies, remember?”_

_He tilted his head, clearly puzzled at what she was suggesting. “Emergencies? Ladybug, are you okay? Is this an emergency?”_

_“What? No! What are you talking about? You’re the one who suggested we exchange private emails with one another. Don’t you remember?”_

_His movements were carefree, as he waved her off “Pfft, no! I think I’d remember if I asked you for your contact information. But...since you think I did...can I have your email?” He sent her baby-doll eyes, clasping his hands together at his side, still holding the slip of paper. Somehow, his look was much more difficult to resist than Manon’s._

_“Silly kitty, of course you can. Send me an email once you make yours tonight. After that, only emergencies. Got it?” He readily agreed as he opened the slip of paper to read_ luckylady777 _and snorted at it._

Marinette deeply regretted getting caught up in the lightheartedness of the moment. How had he not remembered their conversation? Sharing a private method of communication had been a pretty big step in their partnership and everything she knew about Chat suggested that he wouldn’t have taken it lightly. Hindsight was 20/20 and looking back on it, Marinette knew something was wrong. 

Her feet dangled over the side of the Montparnasse tower and began kicking more aggressively as she thought about Chat. He had sent her an email later that night from the address _thecatsmeow13_ with the message “Apparently I did remember our conversation as this account was already created. As always, you were right, my lady 😽”

As much as the unnecessary use of a cat emoji bothered her, Ladybug was far more concerned about his memory lapses. From what she could count, he’d had three so far: (1) not remembering trying to text her about Hawkmoth, (2) not remembering their conversation about emergency emails and (3) not remembering that he’d already made an account. Paired with his recent absences, an uneasy feeling was settling in her stomach. She knew that he could email her if he needed help, but did he know that? What if he’d forgotten? Something was definitely not right and she hated not knowing the details. She was one missed patrol away from reaching out to him herself.

For the thousandth time that night, she called her partner. Tears started forming as that same stupid voice answered, “Cat got your tongue? Leave a message!”

**************

Adrien decided it would be best to approach his father in the late evening. With any luck, he’d be done with work and would be willing to suffer through a full conversation with his son. At this point, every step he took jostled him too much and sent a piercing pain through his head. He was starting to seriously worry if these headaches meant something more than just the changing weather. The new, bluish mark on his neck didn’t suggest anything good either, especially since he hadn’t done anything to bruise the skin. An uneasy feeling settled in him but couldn’t justify his ideas more. He just really, really hoped he didn’t have a brain cancer or something serious. How the hell would he tell Ladybug? She’d have to find a new Chat Noir as he suffered through chemo and radiation and that would just be too much to handle. 

Thinking of Ladybug, Adrien suddenly realized he missed her. Like, _really_ missed her. 

It felt like it had been ages since he was running by her side, but he knew they’d had patrol just a day ago. At least, he should’ve. Thinking back on it, did he go? He didn’t remember patrolling at all. In fact, he didn’t remember fighting any akumas or seeing Ladybug for a while. If his head hadn’t hurt so much. He would’ve shaken it to get the strange thoughts out. He was sure he would’ve gone, why would he miss? He couldn’t remember falling asleep for the past week or so and chalked it up to exhaustion from his migraine. Maybe he was just too tired to remember running around Paris. It was a long shot, but possible, he supposed. Regardless, they had patrol tonight, and he was definitely going to show up, maybe even ask for her help regarding his headache and terrible memory as of lately. He probably just needed more sleep and water. 

Finally, he approached the office and knocked quietly. No answer. He knocked again, more aggressively and still heard nothing in response. Getting really fed up because _sweet mercy_ _I just want some medicine_ he entered the room without regard as to who may or may not be inside. 

Looking around, there was no one. The blonde let out an aggressive sigh. He could feel his emotions starting to get out of check and just really wanted to throw something, maybe even have a ‘Collector’-level temper tantrum. But then he looked at his mother’s portrait and a sense of calmness washed over him. The portrait took his breath away and he got lost staring at it for a while. 

_Push the buttons to activate the door_. 

A small part of him recognized the hidden passage. Adrien knew without a doubt that there was something more to this room. An elevator of some sorts was located directly in front of the portrait. How to access it? Push the three buttons in the painting. It was all common sense. 

But at the same time, none of it was common sense. How did he know all of this? Why did he know? As he sunk in the three triangles and the floor began to lower, a familiar sense of extreme dread set upon him. This was going to be a terrible experience. 

**************

Before even hearing the elevator come to a halt, Gabriel knew exactly what he was dealing with. He turned around slowly to see his son get off the platform and stand frozen on the other side of the corridor.

“Jesus Chris,” he muttered as he threw down his preening tools. “Can I not have a single day without this?” He shot a look over to Nathalie, who’d also taken notice of the teenager. The two shared a sigh and began walking towards Adrien. 

His son spoke first as soon as they were within range “Wh-what is this?”

Gabriel just wanted to get this over with. He’d spent the past week trying to come up with a better solution without achieving anything. The guilt had made way for complete frustration and at this point he didn’t care how he dealt with these situations, as long as they were dealt with quickly. Unfortunately, his responses to his son’s horror had become less understanding and much more clippy. He didn’t break eye contact with Adrien as he willed his transformation to overtake him.

“Father…?” was the only spoken response. Gabriel would never get used to just how heart broken his son sounded every time this happened. 

But then, he bolted. Adrien fled the scene surprisingly quickly and stared down at his father’s unmoving form as the elevator took him upstairs. Gabriel frowned slightly. His son had never run away so quickly before. Usually, he made time to ask a few questions or fight. This was the first time he’d seen the _flight_ response kick in so quickly. Regardless, He didn’t bother to rush after his son. There was always a pattern, despite Adrien’s deviant initial reaction. Hawkmoth calmly followed the boy, knowing the outcome would be the same as the previous 13 times.

As soon as the platform clicked in place, Adrien sprinted to his room. Only one thought resonated through his mind: _I need to send a message to Ladybug_. Sure, seeing everything had been beyond shocking, but it was also uncomfortably familiar. His thoughts self-prioritized and put contacting Ladybug at the very top of the list. Adrien didn’t dare argue with instinct, especially since it made perfect sense. 

He flew into his room and swung around to lock his door. For an extra barrier, he quickly shoved his couch into the entryway. Maybe that would buy him a few extra seconds. Wasting no time, he pulled out his phone and opened the gmail app, switching to his private Chat account. He desperately pulled up a new email and frantically started typing. 

He tried to include the location because, honestly keeping who he was a secret didn’t matter anymore. He was screwed. His identity was screwed, especially since Hawkmoth was his _father_. He didn’t care about Ladybug learning who he was. He just cared about getting the hell out of here. His hands shook terribly as he wrote the message: “Emerggency! Hawjmoth’s here need back uop please ciome now I’m at the Agreste-”

Unfortunately, he hadn’t finished before his bedroom door exploded, violently throwing his couch across the room. Hawkmoth entered, followed by a terrifying glowing blue woman. Adrien snapped his hand behind his back and just kept touching the screen where he thought the send button would be. There were multiple clicks (was he hitting the delete button?) but didn’t stop until he heard the slightest whooshing sound signifying his message had been sent and tucked the phone back in his pocket. Ladybug would need the element of surprise on her hand. He couldn’t let his father find out about the email. 

“Adrien, please, just hold still. I can fix all of this.” Hawkmoth sounded nothing like his father and instead, like a cold, heartless man with no affection for his son. But it also made so much sense. Without even asking, Adrien _knew_ that woman was Nathalie akumatized into Amnesia. He _knew_ his father was motivated by Emilie Agreste, somehow. He _knew_ his father was doing something to him to make him forget, but he didn’t know what. 

Amnesia took a couple steps towards the boy and Adrien felt his anger flare more than it had in years. He picked up his desk chair and threw it at the woman. The motion caught her completely off guard and sent her stumbling to the ground. Her dress flowed out around her like a puddle of spilled water. Hawkmoth was furious now and took slow steps towards his son.

“Adrien, I am sick and tired of your behavior surrounding this topic. You never listen, you never understand and you never do what is asked of you!” He charged forward trying to grab Adrien but the teen let his cat instinct kick in and he rolled to the side. He grabbed his sabre from the side of his bed and held it out to the monster in front of him. Adrien had never been this angry in his life and he started seeing blue. _But wasn’t the expression supposed to be ‘seeing red’?_

“You disgust me, father! You’re weak and pathetic and you just couldn’t let her _die_ , could you?!” His vision was swimming, literally. It felt as though he were staring into an aquarium, but he couldn’t stop the words from flowing out of his mouth. He was absolutely _seething_. 

“Instead, you took to beating the _shit_ out of two teenagers, trying to rob them of their jewelry so you could rewrite reality. So you could rewrite your mistak-” Adrien suddenly noticed he couldn’t see anything but blue anymore. A painful, glowing blue. A terrible feeling settled over him as he realized this was all familiar. 

Gabriel stopped listening to his son’s words and instead stared in horror as tendrils of blue light spread from the side of the boy’s neck where he’d been injected with the Amnesia serum on previous nights. The tendrils moved through his veins, seeming to mimic his anger as they worked their way up his face. Once they reached his son’s eyes, the bright color exploded out of them in a flash. Adrien stopped speaking and collapsed on the bedroom floor, seizing violently. 

Hawkmoth’s transformation immediately dropped as he rushed to his son’s side. But there was nothing he could do until the violent tremors subsided about a minute later. To Gabriel, it felt like an eternity. The horrifying glowing died down and left the familiar green eyes Gabriel was so accustomed to and the skin returned to a natural hue. But Adrien wasn’t moving at all. Two thin fingers flew to the boy’s neck and desperately felt for a pulse. They finally found a steady beating. Gabriel sat back on his heels and closed his eyes as he tried to stabilize his own breathing. 

After having Adrien find out so many times, the man thought he knew what to expect. But _this_ ? This was foul play. It was completely unexpected and had almost given the older man a heart attack. No magic or serum had been used. Instead, it seemed like the power had come from _inside_ the teen and affected him on its own accord. 

The thought was terrifying. 

He moved his hand to his son’s face and felt his cheek. The skin was clammy and feverish, definitely not healthy. He put his hand over his son’s chest to once again feel the reassuring heart beat. Gabriel listened for his son’s breathing while he felt a hand brush past him.

Nathalie, now de-transformed, was reaching forward to manually close Adrien’s eyelids. The unresponsive stare was unnerving. She then bent down and gently picked up his fragile body. He was placed gently on his bed and a blanket was pulled over him. As soon as the boy was tucked in, she whipped around and stared at her boss where he still sat on the ground. Her anger could rival Adrien’s. 

“You’re not allowed to use me, nor the Amnesia serum for these purposes again, sir. It clearly isn’t healthy and Adrien doesn’t deserve this.” She adjusted her glasses and looked down on the man with ferocity. Gabriel knew she had this side of her, but she had never spoken to him so aggressively before.

“It’s time for you to stop this and actually try to help him for once."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know what they say: the definition of insanity is repeating the same actions and expecting a different result. But actually, I had to make three different timelines of this story to figure out just how many times Gabriel decided to be a trashy human being. I'm also have no medical expertise so if something's wrong with the seizure scene, chalk it up to the fact that there's magic involved. 
> 
> As always, thank you for reading!
> 
> Side note: why does Adrien's bedroom have two different doors? The one closest to his bed leads to the massive staircase, but where does the one next to the bathroom lead? I have so many questions.


	7. Disorientation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a warning, this chapter has strong language. As it turns out, delusional Adrien has no filter.

_Ouch. Ow, ow, ow, ouch ouch owowouch!_

Why was he in so much pain? He tried to open his eyes, but quickly decided it would be in his best interest to not do that, because _ow._ He instinctively tried lifted his hand up to rub the immense pain away from his eyelids but, of course, that hurt even more. He heard a gasp and someone came up and grabbed his hand. _Ow._ Then they brushed his face, _ouch_ , saying something as they did so. The boy didn’t understand what was said and didn’t even try to respond. Honestly, it wasn’t worth the effort. But then the hand moved from his face to his shoulder and tightly squeezed the collarbone and muscle. 

_Fucking OUCH!_

His eyes flew open and he gasped in pain but immediately regretted it. Oh sweet mercy why was he so sore? And why couldn’t he remember anything? The boy looked up at the man standing over him and felt a calm sensation flow over him. This face was familiar. 

But then the calm was replaced by the storm and a gut feeling told him he needed to escape. The boy jerked his muscles but _holy fuck_ that _hurt_. 

“Shhhh, Adrien, don’t try to move.”

Adrien? The boy rolled the name around in his head until it found its place and stayed there. That must’ve been his name, right? It sounded welcoming and familiar. Yeah, It was definitely his name.

“How are you feeling, son?”

_Pissed off_ was his first thought. Something about this man was infuriating and Adrien wanted him to leave him alone. He tried to verbalize these thoughts: “Army tick ouch.”

He was proud of himself. He’d made his point very clear. The gray haired man clearly didn’t understand as he stared back at the boy with confusion. Mr. Squeezy for some reason though it was a good idea and squeezed Adrien's shoulder again. _Was this guy stupid?_

“ _Ouch!_ ” the boy verbalized and the man finally retracted his hand to his side. Apparently he only understood basic levels of communication. What an imbecile. 

Another face came into view, a woman with a red streak in her dark hair. Adrien couldn’t place his thoughts exactly, but something about her caused pure terror to run through his veins. He gasped and tried to sit up. There was only one option: run. Both of these familiar people were threats and he needed to _get the fuck out_ , but the soreness returned and he was paralyzed in place. She faced him with a look that made him feel absolute devastation, as if she was the one who needed to be comforted. That made no sense, though. If he was in pain, vulnerable at the hand of enemies, they’d done something to him...right? So why did he feel so sympathetic when she looked at him like that?

Another, stronger part of his thoughts told him to trust her for the time being. With an expression like that, she was only here to help him...right?

“Adrien,” she spoke up quietly, “can you tell me where you are right now?”

He didn’t even need to think about the answer. Of course he - wait. 

Oh shit. He totally couldn’t place his surroundings.

Where was he? The walls looked familiar and he definitely recalled jumping out those massive windows more than a few times. The night sky was captivatingly clear and was enough to wash him of any fear he felt. The silence was like a blank canvas and the freedom outside called to him. But as to _where_ he was? Nope. No clue.

“It’s dark outside?” seemed like the perfect response to her question, but he weakly shook his head for extra emphasis. Whoever these intimidating fools were, they seemed to have issues understanding his advanced levels of speech. He decided to include body language too just in case they needed a more primal form of communication to fully comprehend what he was saying.

The two shared a concerned look. “Okay, do you know what year it is?” The year? What a joke, of course he did. 

“1984. Orwell.” See? He even knew the author of the book, what a pro move. For some reason, the adults seemed unnerved at his responses, but he couldn’t blame them. The whole ‘Big Brother is watching,’ theme hit a little too close to home sometimes. 

The woman directed her attention to the man and spoke calmly. “Sir, I’m almost certain he had a grand mal seizure. I would recommend taking him to the hospital.” Ew, Adrien did not like that suggestion at all. He had no clue what a hospital was but the thought of being moved was not appealing to him at all. At least, not yet.

“Emailss are sent frum home,” the boy voiced, trying to convey how perfectly happy he was remaining where he was for the time being. But when the sound of his words reached his ears, he realized how his voice was slurred and barely registered above a whisper. Why was he talking like this? His words were ignored anyway. 

The man responded harshly at the woman. “No! There is no reason we can’t take care of him here. He needs rest and fluids and observation. Taking him to the hospital would just raise questions. We can figure out a solution here.”

Adrien stared at the man in shock. Had he just _yelled_ at her? As much as the woman scared him, Adrien knew she didn’t deserve to be talked to so aggressively. That was _not_ how you addressed a lady. He turned his eyes back to the man and decided he was enemy no. 1. At least the woman had seemed semi-concerned about Adrien’s well-being. But this hunk of garbage? Nuh-uh. Fuck this guy. 

The teen emitted a low growl sound from his throat and stared pointedly at the guy with the stupid, gray hair. When the douche finally looked at him, Adrien opened his mouth and _hissed_. He thoroughly enjoyed the man’s reaction but suddenly felt uncomfortable at his actions. That wasn’t that normal human behavior, was it?

“Son, I need you to go back to sleep, okay? You’ll feel much better after getting some re-

“ _Fuck_ ou, gra’mpa” Adrien smirked proudly. That one hit his audience _really_ well. It was possible he’d just spoken the most eloquent sentence known to man and damn, it did a fantastic job of getting the point across. The man looked furious and Adrien honestly wasn’t even scared of being hit back. _Fuck this guy_. 

But the asshole just took a deep breath and walked away. “Yeeaa, _fuck_ you grampa” Adrien muttered again as he left the room. What a badass showdown moment; that was definitely his peak in life. The woman walked over to where the man had been and crouched down so she was eye level with the sickly looking teen. She didn’t reach out to touch him or stroke his hair which definitely earned her some bonus points.

“You really should get some rest, okay?” Her gentle voice reminded Adrien of just how tired he was. Sleep was a fantastic idea and he couldn’t believe he hadn’t thought of it earlier. 

His eyelids painfully started to droop again and the world faded out. He was able to whisper one more “Fuck tha’ guy,” before his eyes closed completely and he let his mind fade into a lull. 

One residual thought remained in his head: _Gabriel Agreste is an asshole._

**************

Ladybug eventually realized Chat wasn’t coming and swung off to patrol on her own. There were a few minor cases in which people needed help or some teens were fighting each other in an alley, but nothing major. She returned home and flopped in her bed, not even bothering to change out of her day clothes. Climbing down her ladder seemed like so much work, and she just wanted to sleep, maybe cry a little bit, but mostly sleep. She felt herself drifting off when her phone buzzed loudly next to her ear. The noise scared the hell out of her but she groggily reached out to see who could’ve messaged her at this time. 

An update from the Ladyblog had elicited the notification. Marinette scanned her eyes over the other banners on her lock screen. There were more than she expected to have this late at night. Five messages from the group chat with the girls, a couple instagram reactions, and an email from…

Her heart stopped when she saw the sender. _It’s from_ _Chat Noir_. There was no subject line and the preview the notification offered didn’t make much sense. She quickly unlocked her phone and pulled up the full email. 

“Emerggency! Hawjmoth’s here need back uop please ciome now I’m at th hfd” 

Marinette stopped breathing. The message made no sense, but it was so similar to the text Chat had tried to send her a week prior. All thoughts that something was wrong were immediately confirmed. She hit the reply button and typed back. “Where have you been?! Where are you now? Are you hurt? I’ll be there as soon as I know where to go.” 

Marinette thought she was going to puke when she saw the time stamp. The message had been sent over an hour ago, right when she left for patrol. If he’d needed help then and she hadn’t been there...what if…?

“Oh god…” she choked on the phrase as it fell out of her mouth. Her eyes scanned over the message again. His typos were unnerving her quite a bit. Did he have a concussion? Was he drugged? Had he been _kidnapped??_

A shaking feeling settled over her. _Hawkmoth kidnapped him._ “That’s why he hasn’t been showing up for patrols…” she murmured aloud. It all made so much sense. She wanted to slap herself for not realizing it earlier. Chat’s absences were a huge clue and she just brushed over it as if it were nothing. She refreshed the email page, waiting for the response.

After five minutes, she refreshed it again. There were no new messages. A few minutes later, no new messages. She laid in front of her phone for half an hour, pushing the same button. Eventually realizing he wasn’t going to respond, Marinette slid down to her computer. She frantically searched for teenage boys who had been reported missing in Paris. Unfortunately, she got more results than she knew what to do with. There had been a couple male, blonde teenagers who'd been reported MIA but the timelines didn’t match. Two cases stood out to her in particular but as much as Marinette read about them, she realized she didn’t know who Chat was. She didn’t know his exact age, what part of the city he lived in, where he went to school, his hobbies, his _anything_. 

A mix of frustration and stress pushed tears from her eyes and they flowed down her face. The only things she knew about Chat were his annoying puns, his flirtatious manner, his undying loyalty and his unwavering love for her. 

Ladybug suddenly stood from her chair, fully clothed in her spotted costume. She ran up her ladder and flew off her balcony for a second patrol that night. If Chat were fighting Hawkmoth out in the open, she’d find them. The logical part of her mind reminded her that if they’d been in a public location, she would’ve seen them during her first, extended patrol. But she ignored it. There was still a chance she’d be able to find him on her own. 

The cool air rushing past her face helped to calm her down a little bit. The air was nippy but honestly, she didn’t care. She ran and ran and ran all over the city, calling his catphone as she did so. He never answered. Ladybug found nothing out of the ordinary. 

As she landed back on her balcony, the heroine donned her civilian clothes. Pulling her phone out of her pocket in the blink of an eye, she refreshed the email again. No response. She dragged herself to the lawn chair in the corner, curled up and just began to sob. The high levels of stress and determination to save him made way for a helpless feeling and she couldn’t stop herself from crying. 

It was pathetic. Here she was, the heroine of Paris, completely useless as her partner fought to escape the clutches of their enemy. There was nothing she could do for him and she hated it. 

She laid there for hours, drifting in and out of semi-sleep states before the sun peeked up from the eastern horizon. Marinette groggily held her head up to take notice of the gorgeous sunrise for only a moment. She turned away to refreshed the email again. No response. Crawling back inside, she covered herself in her blanket and waited for her alarm to go off. 

When it did, just 45 minutes later, she woke up on the first ring. She dragged herself down two sets of ladders and found herself in the kitchen. She silently ate breakfast, not noticing the looks of concern her parents shared when they saw how exhausted their daughter looked. Marinette didn’t notice the croissant with a “Love you!” note her dad slipped into her backpack. She didn’t notice the beautiful blue sky as she walked to the school or newest viral video everyone was talking about. Marinette didn’t notice Adrien’s absence nor the fact that Nino was complaining about his best friend’s inability to respond in a timely fashion. She barely registered Alya’s “you okay, girl?”

The only thing she could focus on was the email Chat had sent and the fact that he still hadn’t replied.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the shorter chapter! I had to cut my original chapter into 2 separate ones because it was getting a little out of hand in terms of length. But these are two of my favorite scenes. It was so satisfying to slam Gabriel through both the narrative and dialogue. Also, I'm a sucker for LB/Mari worrying about her partner so that was purely self-indulgent. 
> 
> As always, thank you for reading! I've received much more positive outpour about this story than I ever expected and it honestly renders me speechless. Thank you!


	8. Revelations

Before he was even aware of his actions, Adrien felt himself shoot into a sitting position. A surprised yelp was heard and he felt someone pushing him back down against his bed. As he relaxed against the mattress he realized how much sitting up had hurt. It felt like he was recovering from an intense full body work out he hadn’t stretched for.

“Ugh,” was all he managed to say while he cracked his eyes open. He silently took notice of how much sleepy-eye-crust was packed around his eye lids. That was disgusting. He reached up and rubbed his face aggressively and only stopped when he was sure it was all gone. Pulling his hands back down, he was finally able to take in his unusually blurry surroundings. 

Nathalie stood at the side of his bed with one hell of a concerned look on her face. The sun outside was _bright_ causing his pupils to shrink. The shadows in his room gave him more of a homework time-vibe and there was far too much noise outside for the morning. “What time is it?” he asked, directing his words to his father’s assistance. His voice sounded rough and clogged from lack of usage.

“It’s about five o’clock in the afternoon,” she responded matter-of-factly. But something still wavered in her voice. 

Adrien adjusted his gaze from the room up to her face. Nathalie took note of the exhaustion he radiated when they made eye contact. As much as she hated it, this was more reassuring than the pure hatred she’d felt from him the night before. “Did I- was it a uhh….an allergic reaction again?” his eyes were having an issue focusing. 

Nathalie internally sighed. Adrien had set it up so perfectly and the lie Gabriel created rolled off her tongue. Without hesitation, she explained to him that, yes, it was an allergic reaction and, yes, similar events had taken place. “Both last week and today the staff used a new chemical to clean your room while you were at school. We’re attributing your reactions to this.” The words fell too easily from her lips and she hated it. She crouched down next to him and placed her hand gently on his. She spoke more genuinely in close proximity. “Don’t worry Adrien, this is the last time it’s going to happen. I will personally attend to and see that this matter is taken care of. You’ll be okay from now on.” She gave a smile she hadn’t shown him in a while. He really seemed caught off guard, but softly returned it.

“Thank you, Nathalie. I’m sorry for worrying you and father so much lately.”

“You have no reason to be sorry. Just focus on feeling better today, okay? Once again, you’ve been excused from all prior engagements. I’d suggest reaching out to Nino for school work and to assure him you’re okay. I’ve heard your phone going off all day, but I couldn’t find it to silence it.”

Adrien panicked for a second at the thought of his best friend. Oh, he was going to be _so_ pissed that once again, Adrien failed to show up at school without an explanation. 

Nathalie stood up again, but showed no signs she was going to leave. “How are you feeling, physically?”

“Uh, my body is pretty sore all over. I still have a headache, but surprisingly it’s not as bad as it was yesterday. I’m also just exhausted in general.”

“Those are all expected side effects to both the medicine and your reaction. Your father wishes me to remain in your room until you’re feeling 100% bett-"

“Where’s father?” Adrien cut her off. 

“He’s...dealing with the cleaning team. Ensuring this doesn’t happen again.”

“Please don’t let him be too harsh with them. This was just an accident and they’ve always done such a good job of taking care of us. I hope they don’t feel guilty about this whole debacle. How were they supposed to know?” He spoke that last sentence mainly to himself, but Nathalie caught it and was once again surprised by the boy’s mercy for others compared to his father’s rage. 

“Instead of remaining in your room and watching you sleep, I’ll be right outside to offer you some privacy.” She handed him a small bell. “If you have an issue with anything, just ring this and I’ll be here in an instant”

Adrien hated the idea of the bell. It was demeaning towards Nathalie, but he let her leave it anyway. It seemed to make her feel better. “Thank you, Nathalie.” Instead of responding, she simply dipped her head slightly and walked out. The door clicked quietly in place behind her. For a moment, Adrien just laid his head back down and tried to clear his mind of all thoughts. This was embarrassing. He hated making people worry about him. It was awkward and made him feel vulnerable and helpless - two sensations he despised.

A small buzz from underneath him alerted him to the presence of his phone in his pocket. For the first time, Adrien realized he was still in his clothes from yesterday. He was glad no one had changed him into his pajamas (that would’ve been humiliating) but sleeping in jeans was not comfortable. He sat up again and pulled the blankets off of him. The cooler air brought relief and he just now noticed how much he had been overheating. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and tried to stand but was immediately met with instability. He tilted his body back so he just sat back down on the bed, rather than falling on the floor. Whatever had happened, this allergic reaction must’ve been much worse than the last one. After a few seconds, he stood and weakly walked over to his drawer, pulling out his favorite Ladybug pajamas. He changed quickly and made his way over to his desk chair, relieved to sit down again. He leaned back and pulled out his phone, ready to tackle all the notifications he’d gotten over the course of the day. 

His eyes were still struggling to adjust to the light and the phone in front of him was drastically blurred. He squinted and held it at a distance that made it readable. The first 10 were messages from Nino displaying varying levels of concern. The most recent one was: _Dude, you’re honestly scaring the hell out of me. Did you have another allergic reaction? You gotta give me something to work off, here. You can’t just go radio silent like this._ A pang of guilt hit Adrien’s heart, he hadn’t meant to worry Nino so much. Having every intention of calling his friend, He swiped to his screen and dragged his finger across in the familiar lock pattern. But instead of opening to his messages app, it opened to his email. Specifically, the _Chat Noir_ account he’d made to contact Ladybug.

Adrien’s eyes grew wide as he read the message his partner had sent him. _Where have you been?! Where are you now? Are you hurt? I’ll be there as soon as I know where to go._ He felt his heart go cold as he looked to see what he’d sent her to elicit such a reaction. _Emerggency! Hawjmoth’s here need back uop please ciome now I’m at th hfd._

His phone almost hit the floor. _What the hell?_ He didn’t remember sending that message. But he knew he wouldn’t freak Ladybug out like that for the purposes of a prank. Adrien’s breath hitched as a familiar feeling settled over him. The text message he’d tried to text her over a week ago had been almost identical. That wasn’t a coincidence. He knew in that moment that this was real. It wasn’t some sleep induced mishap. He _remembered_ seeing Hawkmoth standing in his room last night. He _remembered_ an akuma, glowing blue, waiting for the command to attack him. But he had no idea why or what-

The allergic reactions. 

Of course they didn’t make sense, because he wasn’t actually having them. It was....something else. Hawkmoth was doing something to him. But what? And why? His eyes grew wide. His identity must’ve been compromised. There was no other explanation as to why Adrien Agreste would’ve been specifically targeted. He nervously rubbed his thumb over his ring. _Why was it still there?_ If he’d been unconscious and completely vulnerable, why hadn’t Hawkmoth taken his miraculous?

The headache was slowly increasing as the teen desperately tried to piece everything together. He went back to his phone and pulled up his messages, checking if he’d sent anything to anyone about last night. Nothing. He checked his camera roll to see if he had any pictures or videos to validate his fuzzy memories. Nothing. He checked his notes to see if he’d left himself any clues. His heart stopped functioning as soon as he opened the app.

There were so many entries. Adrien felt involuntary tears start forming in his eyes at the pure fear that resonated through him. The first one was made almost two weeks ago.

_Father is Hawkmoth Nathalie knows Ive discoverd this before but forgot for some resaon email LB not safe here not safe!_

The second was made the next day: _Father is Hawkmoth Nathalie is Amnesia they’re after oyu and you’re not safe an doyu need to get away fron them_

A third was made about a week ago. _I don’t know what’s happening but it’s happened before. I don’t think he knows I’m chat nori he can’t know whatever happens he ca_

_He’s got mom in the basement. I don’t knwo if she’s alseep or dead or what but he wants to bring her back. I’m scare dand I don’t inderstand. Email Ladybug_

_He’s drugging you. The mark on your neck is the bruise from the needle. He made an akuma we cant let him bring mom back the price is too much. Email Ladybug!_

_EMAIL LADYBUG_

The last one was created just two days earlier. There were six notes in total, but that was six too many. He noticed his left hand was resting on his neck, fingers feeling the bruise and eventually landing on a single pin prick... _from the needle._ Tears flowed freely down his face as he remembered the emotions he’d felt when he wrote each and every one of these messages to himself. It was like he was viewing the events through a white sheet. He knew they had happened but couldn't recall what exactly had happened. _How many times have I been through this?_

He re-opened the email app and looked at his sent messages. There were only two. The initial one and what he’d sent last night. If he’d had Ladybug’s email, why had it taken him so long to reach out to her? But then he realized the small red bubble next to the “Drafts” folder. He clicked it and a similar horror of realization dawned on him. There were four unfinished messages to Ladybug that hadn’t been sent. 

_Hawkmoth is Gabriel Agreste he found me i need back uo NOW plea_

_Emergency! I accidentalyl found Hawkmoth at the Agreste mansion I need bac_

_Pls come Agreste mansion found Hawkmo_

_Code red im not safe nee dhelp NOW Agreste mansion its Gabriel Haw_

Each was incomplete, which explained why it was never sent. He tried to think back to the last time he’d seen Ladybug in person. It was the night she’d given him her email. The reason he couldn’t remember attending patrols because he _hadn’t_ been. He didn’t remember falling asleep each night not because he was _tired_ , but because his _father_ had been _drugging_ him. It was all too much to take in and Adrien just sat in his chair, utterly shellshocked. He had no idea how much time had passed when the phone held limply in his hand buzzed again. His badly shaking hands made it impossible to read the screen. He scooted forward in his chair and laid the phone on his desk.

It was another email from luckylady777. _Where are you, Chaton?_

A small sob escaped his lips at the pure idea that Ladybug was there for him, waiting for a sign, ready to help him however he needed it. He couldn’t imagine how stressed she had been all day, after getting a crisis email but nothing else. Adrien was suddenly nauseous at the emotional turmoil he’d probably caused his partner. He quickly pulled up her message and hit the reply button, typing meticulously to avoid spelling errors, despite his trembling body. 

_I’m here, Ladybug, and I’m okay for now. Sorry for the silence. Please meet me at the Montparnasse tower in 15 minutes. I owe you an explanation._

_P.S. This isn’t a trap, it’s really me. “Just you and me against the world, my lady”_

_P.P.S. Would you mind bringing me some food?_

Sent. Adrien was astonished that it was already almost seven at night. Apparently he’d taken longer sitting in his revelation than he originally thought. But the worst was over, right? Nothing could possibly top what he'd already learned.

He took a couple minutes to figure out what he was going to do. He finally settled on the only option: he needed to leave. The blonde sighed and pulled out a small notebook. He carefully copied down each note he had left himself, including every typo and date/time stamp. He did the same for the email drafts. Then he deleted every message he’d left himself as well as the entire Chat Noir email account. From what he could tell, father didn’t know his alter-ego and he wanted to keep it that way.

Adrien stood up from his chair but his head spun for a couple seconds before stabilizing. He quietly walked around his room, packing his duffle bag full of necessities. Once it was full of clothes, a water bottle and hygiene products Adrien was about to call it complete when he noticed his mother’s picture on his desk. She had no part in this. She was just as much of a victim as he was. Although he couldn’t quite remember what was happening with her, he trusted his past self. There was a reason he couldn’t let his father 'revive' his mother. She deserved to be freed of her prison and released to whatever wonderful afterlife awaited her. The teen shuddered at the thought of having to face that issue head on but tried to ignore it. That was a problem for another day. He gently grabbed her picture, stuffed it in the bag and zipped it all closed. 

The phone vibrated again on the desk and Adrien almost toppled over his chair as he moved to get it. It was another text from Nino. _Dude, please, this isn’t like you_. Adrien couldn’t just disappear without letting Nino know _something_. He typed out a message that he hoped would work as a cover temporarily.

_Hey Nino, I can’t tell you how sorry I am for not replying or being at school today. Supposedly I had another allergic reaction. Father and I got in a huge fight and I can’t stay here for the time being. I’m heading to my aunt’s house for a couple days without my phone. My father doesn’t know, but please don’t worry about me. I’ll see you soon!_

Guilt accompanied the message when he hit send. Lying to his best friend physically hurt, but there was no way he could tell Nino everything, at least not yet. Once the message was delivered, Adrien deleted it from the conversation. As a final precaution, he smashed his phone as quietly as he could, filled the sink with water and dropped the phone inside. Hopefully, that would be enough for the time being. 

He looked up, accidentally caught his image in the mirror, and felt nauseous again. The skin on his face held a bluish hue but it was almost completely offset by how flush and sweaty he was. The bags under his eyes easily could’ve carried a week's worth of groceries and his posture was shot as he realized he couldn’t stand up without leaning on something. The akuma drug mixed with whatever had happened last night was not working in his favor. In short, he was disgusting. Although there was a time crunch, he needed to take a shower to wash the previous day off of him. He tried to make it quick, but the feeling of the cool water over his face was the perfect prescription for a shattered reality and he stayed longer than he meant to. 

Eventually, he forced himself out and dried himself off. Not caring enough to put decent clothes on, he donned his LB pj’s again. Honestly, it gave him a sense of relief and he was taking all of that he could get at the moment. 

Checking the time, he knew he was going to be late. _Oh well, my bad_. He willed his transformation over him and instantly felt a surge of energy. His exhaustion was replaced with a calm anger and his hands finally stopped shaking. He felt more sturdy on his feet and was finally ready to do what needed to be done. 

Adrien pulled out a slip of paper and a pen from his desk. He scribbled a note and jumped out the window with no intention of looking back.

_You should’ve said goodbye when you had the chances_

**************

Marinette’s blood pressure was through the roof the entire day and it _showed_. By the time she’d finally gotten back home, she only had enough energy to collapse on the couch. She’d asked her parents to skip dinner but they vehemently disagreed. 

“You’ve clearly had a rough day, Marinette, and nothing would be better for you than your favorite dinner and a family movie night,” her mother smiled at her with her father beaming from behind. There was no way to get out of this one, as much as she wanted to. She had planned on running all over the city, searching for Chat. She wouldn’t stop until every inch had been searched and her partner was at her side again. 

Before she could voice any concerns, her dad put his massive arms around her in a bear hug. He picked her up off the ground and plopped her in one of the stools sitting around the counter. The man then sat next to her as her mom brought over a broccoli casserole that looked absolutely amazing. It was one of her favorites and she couldn’t deny that she wanted to stay in her safe home with her parents who sheltered her from the pain of being a superhero; from the desperation of having a missing partner. Marinette checked her phone again. No notifications. She decided it wouldn’t hurt to have dinner and then head out for patrol. Besides, it wasn’t a good idea to run around Paris on an empty stomach. 

Her parents seemed to recognize a small hint of relaxation and smiled greatly at her. They proceeded to cut into the food and ate while making small talk. She silently thanked her parents for not outright asking her what was bothering her. Instead, they asked how school was, how Alya and Nino were doing, how _Adrien_ was doing (her father winked at her when he said his name). They inquired about her newest projects and offered her constructive ideas to push the potential of her designs. 

Marinette became engrossed in their conversation and readily agreed to watch a movie with them. It had been so long since she’d acted like a teenage daughter and it felt so good to not carry the world on her shoulders for just 30 minutes. She snuggled into the couch as her mom put in _Singing in the Rain_ , a family favorite. She tried to become lost in the world of the movie but it was impossible to ignore her responsibilities any longer. Her phone was removed from her pocket and she once again refreshed her email. More for herself than the recipient, she typed out a second message: _Where are you, Chaton?_ As soon as the movie ended, she planned on feigning tiredness, pretending to turn in really early for the night to calm down and eventually ‘fall asleep’. It seemed ridiculous trying to pull it off when it wasn’t even 7pm but she hoped her parents wouldn’t try to stop her. 

But then her phone vibrated and chimed. 

She tried to place the noise. It didn’t sound like a message or an alert from a social media platform. Marinette held her breath and tilted her phone towards her face, _praying_ to any higher power that it was her partner. 

Someone had listened to her pleas.

Tears began falling from her face in pure relief that he was _alive._ _I’m here, Ladybug, and I’m okay_. That was all she needed to jumpstart her heart. She hadn’t even realized it hadn’t been beating since yesterday but now she didn’t care. Chat Noir, her partner, her best friend was alive and he was okay. She frantically opened the rest of the email. _Sorry for the silence._ Yeah, he’d better be sorry for what he did to her. _Please meet me at the Montparnasse tower in 15 minutes._ Good, he wanted to meet up. The sooner the better. _I owe you an explanation._ No comment needed. 

_P.S. This isn’t a trap, it’s really me. “Just you and me against the world, my lady”_

_P.P.S. Would you mind bringing me some food?_

She couldn’t decide if she wanted to laugh or cry at the additional notes. It was smart of him to send the quote he’d spoken to her on Heroes day a couple months ago. No one else had been in the sewer with them. It was like a personal signature. Honestly, even if it had been a trap, Marinette still probably would’ve gone. She was that desperate. The second one could’ve been read in a lighthearted tone or an “I’m barely alive” tone and Marinette couldn’t tell which voice he had intended. _Whatever,_ she thought, _as long as he’s okay I can work with it._

The teen suddenly became aware of the paused movie as both of her parents stared at her. Sabine spoke first, “Marinette, what’s wrong? Please talk to us.”

She had to create a lie, and do it immediately. “Alya just messaged me that my favorite character died on this T.V. show we’ve been watching. Can I please go out with her to talk about it?” _please fall for it, please fall for it, please fall for it_.

The couple’s eyes softened as they turned to each other, turned to their daughter in unison and then nodded. “Just be back by 9pm, okay? It is a school night, after all.” her father spoke in a firm but loving tone. Marinette hopped up without replying and kissed each of her parents on their cheeks. She bolted up to her room to grab her purse and then flew down the steps back into their kitchen. Without asking permission, she threw the remaining casserole in a tupperware dish. She sent her mom a fast “Alya loves casserole!” before she sprinted down the stairs, out the bakery and on to the street.

_I'm coming Chat Noir._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ope, it finally happened. All of the 'messages' he left himself were just me typing frantically and then not going back to change my mistakes. It kinda feels like I overdid it, but it's realistic...right? Haha...anyway. Thank you for reading!


	9. Lead Me Out Of The Dark

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: mention of anxiety attacks 
> 
> The chapter is named after the song by Crown the Empire. I'm not sure I'd call it mood music, but it's what I was listening to while writing most of this. I love the song, but it's pretty sad, thus the angsty chapter.

It didn't matter where she hid to transform, as long as it was somewhere nearby. Without thinking, Marinette ran across the street to the park. She checked for people, saw no one and then ducked behind a tree as she felt her suit covering her body. Her yo-yo was immediately wrapped around the closest leverage point and her feet left the ground. Ladybug sailed across the city and made it to Montparnasse Tower in record time. She knew she was early to the rendezvous, but it didn’t bother her. Nervous energy flowed through her veins and her breathing felt foreign. She stood in the roof and spun in a constant, slow circle as she looked for any sign of movement.

After a few minutes, her nervousness was on the verge of becoming hysteria. She decided to sit down on the glass overlook and slow her breathing. Her yo-yo was cracked open as she called her partner but he didn’t answer. She checked the time 7:08. He’s late. For a moment, Marinette feared that Chat been caught and wouldn't be coming. She didn’t know if she’d be able to handle that.

Luckily, not an instant later she heard a soft thud behind her. Ladybug gave herself whiplash as she turned around and shot to a standing position. She didn’t even feel her feet move as she ran towards him at light speed. Her plan was to tackle him in a Tom Dupain-sized bear hug but his appearance brought her antics to a halt. Chat was slouching and leaning heavily on his staff despite his tendency to have decent posture. A strap crossed his chest, connecting to a duffel bag that laid against his back.

Ladybug slowed her steps and walked up to him carefully. She noticed he was winded and seemed distracted. But, despite everything, he was sending her his brightest smile and she couldn’t ignore the happiness she felt in his presence. “Ladybug…” he breathed.

And that’s when she broke. They could deal with everything later. She slammed her head into his chest and wrapped her arms around him, squeezing as tightly as she could. His arms returned the motion but loosely rested on her lower back rather than in a crushing hug. The two heroes just held each other for a while. Ladybug took in his familiar scent of pine and leather and she couldn’t deny how it reminded her of home. Not her home, but a home.

She wanted to stay like that forever, never letting go in fear he wouldn’t come back. But then she felt Chat sway slightly in her embrace. She realized a lot of his weight was being supported by her and quietly chastised herself for not being more considerate. Without asking him, she scooped up his legs and carried him over to the side of the building: their sunset-watching spot.

He simply chuckled as she set him down saying “My lady, you make me feel like a princess,” and sent her a smile. His stomach growled rather loudly and he gave her a timid smile. She chuckled and pulled up her yo-yo. She swiped it open, reached her hand in and pulled out the tupperware dish. Her endless yo-yo purse was truly magical. It definitely made up for her costume not having pockets. She presented the casserole to Chat who stared at her with the familiar ‘I love you’ look.

“You, my lady, are a benevolent goddess,” He placed his duffle bag on the ground next to him and then took the tupperware from her, quickly popping the top off. “Thank you.” Unabashedly, he used his fingers to pick up small pieces of the casserole and put them in his mouth. She heard him try to say something, but it was unintelligible (something about how good it tasted?).

Within 60 seconds, the dish was clean and Chat was wiping his gloved hands on his thigh in a poor attempt to get the food off. Ladybug pulled a napkin out of her yo-yo and handed it to him.  
He accepted it with a “This is why I need you,” and wiped his face off.

For a moment it seemed as though nothing was wrong. If she had ignored the previous events of the day, she easily could’ve convinced herself they were just on a typical patrol. But his facade completely contradicted his body language and Ladybug wasn’t about to let him brush everything off. She tried burning her gaze into him as they sat in front of the sinking sun, but he was oblivious, simply looking off into the sky, lost in thought. They sat there quietly for a few more moments before she couldn’t take it anymore.

“Chaton, what’s going on? You’ve been missing for a week with no contact except last night and honestly, that email scared the hell out of me. Are you okay? Where were you? What happened to you?” Words accidentally flew out her mouth like rapid fire and he jumped at the sudden noise. There were a million other questions on her mind and a million things she wanted to scold him for, but that would have to wait until the biggest mysteries were answered first.

“I-I don’t know.” His shoulders slouched. “There’s so much and I’m still honestly processing it all,” he still seemed like he wasn’t completely in the moment, no matter how hard he was trying to be. Ladybug waited for him to say something more, but he had gone silent again, lost in the clouds.

“Okay, well let’s start with how you’re physically doing. Honestly, minou, you don’t look great. Do you need to go to the hospital?”

His eyes widened at the proposal and he waved his hands in front of him “No! No, no, no. No hospitals. Please. He’d find me if I went there. We need to stay under the radar.”

That was….a concerning response. “I meant you’d go to the hospital as your civilian self.”

“I know, bug. But…that’s the issue. He found me as my civilian self. Or, more like, I accidentally found him. I don’t think he knows I’m Chat Noir. Honestly, I don’t know what he would’ve done if he had. Definitely would’ve taken my miraculous, that’s for damn sure. Frickin' psycho.” He spat out the last insult and Ladybug was taken aback. She’d never heard Chat blatantly speak ill of anyone, let alone so aggressively.

“Chat...did he hurt you?”

His voice switched from angry to gentle as he addressed her. “I-I honestly don’t know. Accidentally, I think. But it might’ve been on purpose? I can’t remember.”

A sinking feeling settled in the pits of her stomach. This recurring inability to recall events had been plaguing him since that dreaded text two weeks ago. Her suspicions about the lack of memory being something more were correct. Her voice shook more than she wanted it to when she found her voice to respond. “What do you mean you can’t remember?”

He sighed deeply before diving into the explanation. “I’ve been having memory lapses, thus the missed patrols and confusion. Honestly, milady, I thought I was coming to patrols and just forgetting or falling asleep instantly when I got home. But I...f-from what I can gather, Hawkmoth has been,” his voice shuddered suddenly, “d-drugging me to make me forget every time I discover who he is in an attempt to get me to return to my normal ‘pre-reveal’ civilian life.” He unzipped his suit slightly and pulled down his collar.

Ladybug felt like throwing up at the sight of the bluish wound on his neck. It looked like a starburst with a dark epicenter and lighter arms reaching out across Chat’s neck. He tilted his head down and hosted a look of utter defeat. His voice shook but Marinette couldn’t tell if it was from anger or fear. “I don’t know how long this has been going on for. At least two weeks. I think the drug is making me sick. I need to get it out of my system somehow, but I don’t- I don’t know- I just don’t…” Tears began spilling from his vibrant green eyes.

That was the moment Ladybug decided she didn’t want to take the high road for once. She didn’t want justice, she wanted revenge. Chat was such a gentle soul. He might’ve been obnoxious, but he was kind and just and honest. Although she didn’t know who he was behind the mask, she figured his personality didn’t change much. Whoever decided it was okay to treat anyone, especially civilian Chat Noir, this way was officially on Marinette’s bad side. And that was not a good place to be.

Blonde hair suddenly hit Ladybug’s face and she realized the hero was awkwardly leaning over to rest his head on her shoulder. She straightened up to make it more comfortable but it didn’t work too well, as he was a good head taller than her. “I can’t go back there L.B. I can’t let him do this to me anymore,” his voice was barely above a whisper.

“You don’t have to, Chat. You never have to be alone in this again, okay? I’m not leaving you.” They sat there for a while in silence. Marinette knew Chat needed a moment to gather himself, but it was killing her. Only a fraction of her questions had been answered, but she’d have to exercise patience. The fragility of her partner terrified her and she didn’t want to push him over his limit.

After a couple minutes, she tried to pry more information out of him. “Kitty, you need to tell me who Hawkmoth is. I know it’s not easy, but the more I know, the more I can help you.” She felt his body tense up beneath her.

“Ladybug....It’s really complicated. I-I need to tell you who I am first. Please.” Oh? That’s not what she was expecting.

“I know we need to remain anonymous, but I’m too close to this issue. I know Hawkmoth personally. He’s…” he trailed off, thinking for a moment. “I just don’t think I can tell you who he is without revealing my identity. I’m sorry. I don’t know what to do.” She could hear the stress returning to his voice. She had definitely wanted to avoid that.

Marinette channeled her mother and used soothing tones, rubbing small circles on her partner’s back. That always worked for her, so she assumed it would work for him. “Chat, just give me a name. You don’t need to explain your connection. If I figure it out, then I figure it out and we’ll deal with it. But we need to try to avoid it at all costs, okay? As soon as this is over, we’ll have a full identity reveal and there will be no more hiding.”

Every word that slipped past her lips felt like utter betrayal. Chat Noir had gone through what looked like Hell and come back only to request one thing and she couldn’t even grant him that? It was wrong. It felt so wrong. Every fragment of her essence screamed at her to let the reveal happen and she was seconds from giving in.

But Master Fu had a reason, and she trusted him more than she trusted herself. If she wasn’t supposed to know her partner yet, then it was for his own benefit, right? He was already hurting and she had to take every possible precaution to keep him safe. This is the best course of action....right?

He abruptly lifted his head off of her shoulder as he pulled his knees up to his chest. His long arms wrapped around his legs, keeping himself in a tight ball, with his head resting on top of his kneecaps. Ladybug shifted and turned to look at him. He had given into her will without a doubt, as he always did. He was going to do as he was told and push down whatever turmoil boiled inside of him for her sake and the sake of some stupid rule.

No. This was not right.

Ladybug looked him over one last time before opening her mouth to say screw it with the stupid secrets, but his composure once again stopped her. He was staring at the remnants of the sunset, his eyes bouncing back and forth to the different colored clouds that streaked across the sky. It was almost like he was trying to see the whole picture at once, but could only comprehend a single shade of the fading rainbow at a time.

His voice broke and he closed his eyes as he inhaled deeply. “It’s...Gabriel. Gabriel Agreste. He’s Hawkmoth.”

Her blood ran cold. “Gabriel Agreste?! But he was akumatized!” Despite her best attempts, she couldn’t keep her voice from crescendoing to a harsh volume.

“I know.” He opened his eyes and looked at her with a renewed sense of conviction. “Don’t ask me how he became The Collector, but I watched him transform before my eyes. Multiple times, apparently. There’s no doubt. His assistant is Amnesia, the akuma he used to erase my memory.”

His brows furrowed suddenly and he looked away from her, lost in a sudden realization.

“Chat?”

His cat pupils dilated so that his eyes appeared almost completely black. His breathing hastened again and he gripped his hair as though he were trying to pull it out. “Dammit, dammit, dammit!”

She shot her arm out to his shoulder in a poor attempt to bring comfort. There was so much more happening beneath the surface and she had no idea how to help. But damn her if she wasn’t going to try. “What?? Chaton, what’s wrong?”

“Nathalie, his assistant. She’s Mayura. I’m so stupid!”

Ladybug was still processing everything he was saying. Gabriel Agreste being Hawkmoth? It felt like a suckerpunch, but made sense. Nathalie being Mayura? That came as a shocker, but also made sense. Marinette had never pegged the assistant as the supervillian kind. Were her loyalties to M. Agreste that strong?

Her heart dropped as she thought about Adrien. That poor boy, she thought. Hopefully, he’d never find out about any of this, but she knew that was just wishful thinking. He’d be utterly broken, completely shattered. Ladybug glanced at her blonde partner. Adrien might react in a similar fashion to Chat: internalizing the blame for not realizing sooner, relying on trusted friends for support....

She shut the thought out before she could continue. Now wasn’t the time for revelations about her crush. Chat had started shaking badly, still gripping his head tightly. She had to calm him down. Being in such poor shape to begin with, it was not a good idea to raise his blood pressure.

“No, you’re not, Chaton. Listen to me, listen to my words. If you’d been close to the family, it would’ve been easy for you to be blindsided. You would never assume people in your life can be supervillains. No one expects that.”

He was starting to rock back and forth slightly and Marinette recognized the early signs of an anxiety attack. She really had to calm him down. She reached out and pulled his body into hers, doing her best to keep him from moving. His head was pushed against her chest and she hoped he could hear her the repetitive rhythm of her heart beat. “I should’ve known, my lady. The signs were all there and I just ignored them. I’m so dumb. I trusted them. I thought they would never hurt me but I was so, so wrong.”

“Shhhh, Chat, we’ll work through this. You’re not dumb. You’ve figured all of this out after all he put you through. That takes intelligence and strength. You’re so strong, Chaton, you’re so strong.” He seemed to calm down slightly and his shaking was reduced to small tremors that inconsistently ran through his body.

His voice was muffled by her arms but she heard him quietly mumble “I know why he wants our miraculous, Ladybug.” The girl perked up at that, but tried to not show any signs of doing so. That had been one of her biggest questions. If she had a motive, she had leverage.

“You don’t have to talk about it, right now. You’ve got a lot to proces-”

“He’s trying to bring back his wife. I’ve seen her. He has her body in his basement in a glass coffin. She’s been there this whole time. He never grieved, never moved on. He just can’t let her go.” His voice was deadly calm and he suddenly pushed off her chest in a sitting position. She watched him closely, surprised at the sudden change in demeanor. He narrowed his eyes as he worked through his thoughts.

Ladybug recognized the signs. Another realization? But she saw the exact moment he put all the pieces together. “Ohmygod…” he muttered under his breath. “It’s me. I’m the exchange.”

“What? Chaton, please, what are you talking about?”

The cat hero stood up suddenly, but almost toppled over while doing so. Ladybug shot up and caught him, “Chat Noir, please you’re not okay. I need you to sit down.” But it was obvious he wasn’t listening to her anymore.

“I wasn’t being paranoid. He is going to kill me. He’s going to kill me, he’s going to kill me, hesgoingtokillme!”

Ladybug noticed that his skin began to glow with a disturbing blue light. Tendrils seemed to be coming from the wound on his neck, snaking up towards his head via his veins. Marinette felt her heart stop again as she finally realized what was happening. The more he panicked, the faster the light moved. She had to do something. Now.

But she never got the chance. Chat’s knees buckled and Ladybug supported him until he gently touched the ground. He started coughing violently and the glowing, blue, viscous substance flew past his lips onto the ground. He weakly raised his head and looked at his partner, begging for her help. “Don’t let him find me, please.”

And then the blue tendrils reached his eyes. Light exploded out of them and Marinette watched in horror as he collapsed on the ground, his transformation falling as he lost consciousness. She could only watch as Adrien Agreste, her classmate, friend, crush and loyal partner seized violently on the ground in front of her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thank you for reading! I promise it gets better soon for the poor sunshine boy. (But, sidebar, Adrien literally has a breakdown in Chat Blanc when his father is an asshat and drops like four bombs on him at once. I'm very curious as to how it'll all play out in the actual timeline)


	10. Flash Point

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all! Sorry this chapter is late. I was doing updates twice a week but then 2020 made a targeted attack on my family so I had to deal with some chaos. But! I'm making an effort to post twice this week because you guys deserve it. Without further ado, enjoy chapter 10!
> 
> Warning: There's a slight mention of suicide in the second half of this chapter.

_I’m definitely going to need therapy._ The realization had almost been too much for her to handle. But it just made so much sense that it had been Adrien by her side all this time and that made it easier to digest. What wasn’t easy to digest was his unconscious body on the ground in front of her. Marinette had never seen someone have a seizure, but she was pretty sure this is what it looked like. She seemed to remember watching a medical t.v. show and they said something about not touching the person, just letting it run its course. But it was nearly impossible to not collect him in her arms and hold him tightly. 

On top of everything else, he started coughing as he seized and it sounded like he was choking. _Of course he’s choking! He’s laying on his back!_ Ladybug gently picked him up and turned him on his side. More of the blue liquid gushed out his mouth, but he started breathing again. She rested his back on her knees as she sat on her feet. His motions stilled after about a minute and his breathing slowed, but he showed no signs of awareness. It seemed safer to move him, so she pulled his chest up so it was supported by her arm. His head hung limply for a few moments but then she felt his neck muscles trying to support it. 

Ladybug gasped as his eyes fluttered open slightly. She had not expected him to wake up so quickly. “een fyre…” he muttered. _What?_

“Adrien, can you hear me? Do you know what I’m saying?”

She watched his eyes turn towards her voice, but his eyelids were really struggling to stay open. “Mmm ‘urts.” Marinette’s heart couldn’t take this. She had to get him help, now. He needed a hospital, but he was right about keeping a low profile. If she took him there his father would find him immediately. She shuddered at the thought. But what else was she supposed to do with an extremely sick classmate/superhero partner? Would her parents help? She knew they would do everything in their power to help Adrien, but they’d also ask questions. Too many questions.

She needed help from the one person both superheroes could confide in. 

Ladybug gently placed Chat-Adrien-whoever he was back on the ground. She sprinted over to his duffel bag and searched through it until she found a black hoodie. Closing the bag, she threw it over her chest in a similar fashion to how Chat was wearing it when he first arrived, except the strap was on her back and the bag crossed her front torso. 

She grabbed the tupperware and was about to put it away when her eye caught the blue substance he’d been coughing up. It was definitely magical based on how it looked. She sighed deeply and used the lid of the container to scoop some of the goop into it. _Gross, gross, gross_. But maybe it would help Master Fu figure out how to help her partner. She stuffed the container into the duffel and went back to Adrien. 

Although she tried to pick him up as gently as possible, it wasn’t helping that he was almost completely dead weight. He may have technically been conscious, but he was not cognizant whatsoever. As she slipped the sweatshirt over his head she noticed his Ladybug-themed pajamas for the first time and couldn't help herself from fangirling for a brief second. Her crush had a crush on her! _And_ _he looked so cute!_ But there were more pressing matters and she forced her thoughts to focus on the emergency. The black hood was pulled over his head and she tightened the strings so only a small opening was left for him to breathe through. It would have to function as his only identity concealer for the time being. Although it was now dark outside, she didn’t want anyone filming her holding an unconscious Adrien Agreste. That was not the type of publicity she needed.

Ladybug decided to bite the bullet and use one single, big movement to heave him on to her back. She grimaced when he cried out, but it needed to be done. “Please, Mom,” she heard him mutter and it shattered her heart all over again. He didn’t deserve this. No one did. And Hawkmoth was going to severely pay for making him suffer. 

Ladybug struggled greatly to use her yo-yo but finally managed to zip off the building to street level. She snuck through alleyways and empty streets until she finally arrived close enough to Master Fu’s residence. She dropped her transformation and noticed the weight on her back become much more apparent. She had to rely on her non-super strength for the rest of it. A few people on the street gave her concerning looks but she just gave them a smile and continued on her way. No one stopped her.

Finally, Marinette reached the massage parlor and walked inside. She knocked on the door to the main room but stumbled in before hearing a response. Master Fu was brewing tea in the corner and almost dropped the whole pot when he saw the scene in front of him. The heroine laid her partner down on the mat in the middle of the floor and pulled the hood off his head. Baby blue met squinted emerald eyes. “I thought you were dead,” he muttered. But she knew he wasn’t talking to her. 

“Marinette! What happened?” Master Fu finally broke out of his stupor and rushed over to the duo.

“Master, Chat’s not okay,” she finally released the tears she’d been holding in since he’d collapsed in front of her. Terrible, choking sobs wracked her body. Her face quickly became a mess of salty water and snot but she couldn’t stop it. Tonight was too much for her to handle alone and she needed someone to lean on. 

The old man immediately kneeled down next to the boy on the floor. He gently reached up and pulled the boy’s eyelids down with his fingers, aggressively whispering _sleep_ as he did so. Adrien’s muscles relaxed and his head lolled to the side. She hadn’t even noticed his shallow breathing until it was replaced with deeper exhales. The old man in front of her directed his attention to her for an explanation. Where was she supposed to start?

“I-I think he had a seizure, master. But it wasn't normal. It was caused by some sort of magic from Hawkmoth’s akuma.”

He looked thoroughly confused. “I didn’t know there was an akuma out right now”

Oh, Gods. How was she going to put all of this into words?? She was starting to understand why it had been so difficult to get Chat to talk to her an hour ago. _No better place to start than the beginning_ she reasoned. So she told Master Fu everything from her perspective. The weird text, the email accounts, the memory lapses, the absences, the email from last night and finally the events that took place on the rooftop. She presented the tupperware dish to him, but could see how troubled he was at the sight of it. By the end of it all, Marinette heard the clock on the wall chime. Her head shot up and looked at it: 9:30. Shit, she was supposed to be home by 9.

Her mentor realized the dilemma. “You’ve done well tonight, Marinette. Please, go home and get some rest. I’ll take care of Adrien for the time being. We’ll figure all of this out but you both need to recover from your traumas and staying up late is going to do you no good.”

Guilt rushed through her at the thought of leaving her kitty so vulnerable like this. But Master Fu was right, she was no help to him right now. Adrien needed sleep. They could work everything out tomorrow. 

“I’ll be over here first thing in the morning, Master, I promise.”

She was met with a head shake. “No, Ladybug. Attend school so as to not raise alarm. Visit us afterwards and we’ll work through everything. We’re safe here. He’s safe here. Bring him notes from your class.” The conversation seemed bizarre. How could she possibly take mundane notes when the love of her life was almost dying right across town? 

“Marinette, he’ll be okay. I promise.” Master Fu smiled at her gently and sent her the ‘shoo’ gesture. The girl stood to her feet and walked out slowly. She sent one more concerned look at her mentor who shooed her out again. “Bring us some delicious pastries tomorrow, okay?” She nodded meekly and finally turned to leave, closing the door quietly behind her. 

**************

“You would know what to do, you’ve always had the answers,” Gabriel moved his eyes and dejectedly glanced at his wife in the family portrait in front of him. “Please, just tell me what to do.” He dropped his head into his hands and felt tears moving from his eyes for the first time in a while. Even after Emilie had fallen into her current state, no tears were shed by her husband. Determination replaced sadness and he spent his days of bereavement creating a plan to fix his mistakes. But now, there were no more plans to be made. He was out of ideas and the hopeless feelings that had stalked him for so long were finally catching up. 

He moved his gaze from his wife’s smiling face to his son’s. Everything had been perfect until Emilie had gone too far. Gabriel didn’t know how many times he’d told his wife to stop using the miraculous, but she just wouldn’t. Every time she heard of someone's suffering, she’d create an amok and send it to their aid. Be it a tiny doll to cheer up a child for a while or creating a vigilante to protect people at night, Emilie’s goal was to help everyone. She often made little creatures for their son to play with as a substitute for the lack of siblings they were able to give him. It didn’t matter her reasons, her methods or how much she cared about everyone. Emilie’s condition was entirely avoidable and Gabriel could only blame himself for not stopping her before she went too far. 

And now, he had done it all over again. He had gone too far, causing his son’s physical condition to decline. Gabriel slammed his fist down on the dining room table he sat at. He knew his son needed to be in a hospital, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. They wouldn’t be able to cure the underlying issue his father had created in the first place. Months of having magical serum in his bloodstream was starting to cause non-magic medical issues. He saw it in Adrien’s face every time they passed each other. _But how do I fix it?_

When Ladybug’s cure failed to work on his son, Gabriel was initially relieved. But now it was the bane of his existence. If her magic cure-all didn’t work, there wasn’t much hope that other magic would. He considered making a healing akuma, and it was still the best idea he had. It was worth a shot, but the thought of using more akuma-based magic on the teen was unnerving. Adrien’s body was already weak from Amnesia's serum. If a healing akuma was used, would it worsen the effects? There was no way to tell. But if magic couldn’t be used to cure magic, then what could? He didn’t feel right making these decisions on his own anymore, they belonged to his son. If presented with all the facts, he was sure the boy could choose his own course of action. But that was an even bigger risk. 

At this point, Gabriel knew how his son would react to everything. He’d yell, fight and try to get away. Why was it so hard for him to understand that Gabriel wasn’t the bad guy? No one had ever been permanently hurt during an akuma attack and he tried to make sure his son’s safety was always a priority. He knew he had the support of Nathalie, but it didn’t fill the void of acceptance he needed from his only family. 

He looked back up at his wife’s kind, green eyes. Adrien had the matching pair. Everything about him reminded Gabriel of her. His smile was identical, his bright blonde hair, the piercing eyes, his emotional outbursts, his passion, his kindness towards everyone. It was like living with a mini-me and as much as he loved it, he hated it. His son accidentally reminded him of his failure to save his wife. And now he had given the two another commonality: being in direct danger because of him.

He sighed again and rested his head in his hands. He sat there for a while, long after the shadows moved across the room and eventually overtook it entirely. Nathalie had informed him that his son had woken up a few hours ago, but he couldn’t bring himself to visit just yet. Immediately after the seizure, a delusional Adrien had clearly told him to screw off. As much as he knew they weren't his son’s true words, he almost wondered if they were. Is that why he always fought and ran? Because he hated his father for his actions?

The self-pitying abruptly came to an end as Gabriel finally realized what he needed to do. For the past few weeks, Adrien had been finding everything out on his own. It was time for him to be presented with all the information in a less shocking manner. Maybe the gentler approach would elicit different results. It was his only hope at the moment. The man stood, straightened his jacket, wiped his eyes and walked up to his son’s bedroom. He saw Nathalie sitting outside attentively, listening for any signs of movement. Although he would’ve preferred her to stay inside the room with the boy, she made it obvious she didn’t plan on it. She would always be ready to help Gabriel, but she also had a duty to protect Adrien. She argued that, at this moment, he needed the privacy and trust that they’d been failing to give him. 

She stood as he approached. “Good evening sir.”

“How is he?”

“I can only assume he’s fallen asleep. I didn’t hear much after he took a shower a few hours ago.” she wore an emotionless facade to match her boss’s. He nodded in response and pushed past her to open the door. He reached for the handle and sighed, gathering his strength before opening it and walking inside. 

His eyes looked to the bed, only to find it empty. Panic struck his heart immediately, but he tried to reason. Adrien was probably in the bathroom or up in the loft where they couldn’t see him. He called out for the boy, waited, and received no response.

Ok. Now it was time to panic.

Gabriel sprinted over to the bathroom and threw the door open to reveal absolutely nothing. The sink caught his eye and he looked down to see Adrien’s smartphone cracked and fully submerged in water. He let his blood pressure spike.

“Adrien!?” No response. 

Had someone taken him? There was no way the teen would have been able to escape on his own. Gabriel noticed the opened window, but it made no sense as they were on the second story. 

“Sir?” Nathalie called him over to the desk. She held up a small strip of paper for him to read. 

_You should’ve said goodbye when you had the chances._

Oh god. They were on the _second story_. Gabriel felt his heart stop pumping as he tripped over himself and ran to the wall of windows. He stood and looked over, down to the cement below. No one. Nothing. He allowed himself to breathe as he collapsed to the floor. He finally felt the tears from the past year flow out down his face. He finally let himself break. Nathalie came over and placed a hand on his shoulder. 

“We’ll find him, sir.” her words meant honestly nothing as the man wallowed in his self-pity. Is this what he had been doing all along? By trying to bring his wife back, had he pushed his son away? He was tired of losing all the time. Losing to those despicable heroes, losing his family, losing his patience. Was he losing his mind now, too?

Somehow managing to pull himself back into a standing position, he grabbed Nathalie’s shoulders and stared into her eyes. She gasped slightly at the look of sheer desperation on his face. For months, he’d sported a look of determination, but all traces of that were gone. The woman could only see frantic recklessness and it honestly terrified her. 

“I don’t care what it takes. We’re getting him back and healing him. I can’t lose him, Nathalie. I can’t lose anymore.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh geez, it's fun to made Gabriel go crazy. We are officially at the part of the story where I should've started planning, but didn't. I only just began plotting the rest/ending of the story so these next chapters may seem a little chaotic (who doesn't love a little extra havoc sprinkled in with daily life?). As always, thank you so much for reading. I've received a lot of positive feedback about this story and it's more than I ever expected. Thank you to all my readers and to everyone who's left a kudos or comment.


	11. Curative Influences

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is posted in celebration of the filter called "Which Cartoon Char" on Snapchat 'cause it's got our faves, LB and CN on it (and Luka, but hey, guitar boy is always welcome in this house). Anyways, enjoy chapter 11!

The alarm on his phone had been blaring for a couple minutes now, but Nino made no attempt to turn it off. Getting out of bed would mean having to go to school and going to school would mean he’d have to face Adrien’s mysterious absence. No, mysterious wasn’t the right word for the situation. It was upsetting, maybe a little disturbing? His phone buzzed loudly next to him. 

Alarming. This whole thing was terribly alarming. 

Eventually, his mother walked into his room and turned the phone off for him. He quickly closed his eyes and pretended to not hear it. “I don’t know how you kids sleep through noises so close to your faces. Nino, hey, it’s time to get up,” she shook him gently and he opened his eyes. Immediately, her brows furrowed when she looked at him. “Are you feeling okay?” she felt his forehead but found a normal temperature, maybe only slightly warmed by sleep. 

“I’m fine” he muttered as he sat up. 

“Alright, well we’ve got cereal on the counter for breakfast. You’ve got to eat quickly in order to make the bus on time.” She left to let him get dressed. 

He was not looking forward to any part of today. All Nino wanted was the blonde ray of sunshine to show up and announce that his absence and the text message were all part of a terribly planned prank he was playing on his friend. That’s something Adrien would do, right? _No, it wasn’t_. Nino reminded himself begrudgingly. Although it was true the kid had no idea what a good prank was, Nino knew he wouldn’t pull something like this for fun. 

He sighed while gathering his loose papers and shoving them in his backpack. Dragging his feet up to the kitchen counter, he plopped down on the closest stool and poured himself a bowl of cereal. If only there were something he could do, if he could only contact Adrien somehow, he’d feel much better. Why on earth had the kid not taken his phone with him? Nino knew it was probably because of a tracking program installed on it, but the thought still bothered him.

What bothered him more was M. Agreste. Adrien put up with a lot of shit on a daily basis because his dad couldn’t get over his own issues. Nino had been watching it for a while now and taking mental notes. The dude was not a great guy and Nino was honestly surprised that Adrien was as kind hearted and innocent as he was, despite the shitshow his life seemed to be most of the time. Eventually, Nino knew M. Agreste was going to cross a line. And when that day came, Nino would be there to tell him off and adopt Adrien into his own family.

“Stupid man and his stupid face” Nino’s mom looked at him concerningly. He hadn’t meant to speak aloud. Frantically, he laughed and pointed to the character on the cereal box. “Turtle O’s is a stupid name for a cereal, don’t you think? And they could’ve done so much better with the mascot, aha ha ha.” She didn’t seem to buy it but went back to what she was doing regardless. 

Nino stared at the figure on the box. He really wished he had his miraculous right now. That would give him the ability to transform so he could scare Gabriel Agreste into being a better human being. Then, he’d track down Adrien and keep him at his house instead of wherever he was so he’d be closer to - _Wait a second_. An idea dawned on him.

He slurped down the rest of his breakfast, brushed his teeth at light speed and bolted out of his house, sending a quick “Love you dudes, bye!” before closing the door behind him. He jumped on the bus right before it left the station and checked the time. Somehow, he’d made the earlier bus rather than his regular one, so he’d be at school slightly early. _That_ was a miracle. Now he had to work on creating a second miracle. 

Alya picked up on the first ring. “Hey Nino, what’s up?” Her voice sounded beautiful on the other side of the phone. 

“I’m headed to school right now but I need your help with something. Is there any way you can get there early?”

She laughed, “Boy, you know I’m already here. I was looking something up in the library, just come meet me once you get here. What is it you need?”

“I’ll tell you once I’m there, lo-” A _love you!_ hung on his lips but he didn’t let it out, not yet. They’d only been dating for a couple months and that was a huge step, especially for someone his age. He was terrified of her not reciprocating it if he said it first. “See you soon!” was the safe option before hanging up. 

Nino made sure he was the first off the bus. A couple people cursed at him as he pushed past, but he barely heard them. He had given himself a sense of hope and was not letting go of it. He barreled into the school and up the steps to his girlfriend in the library. Alya was slightly taken aback when the door burst open and Nino sprinted in. He may have been a part time superhero, but it was unlike him to run in non-emergency situations. He slid to her side gracefully and pulled out his phone. 

“My, my, what’s got you in a frenzy this morning. Forgot about another test?”

Nino didn’t have time for playful banter. “Worse, sunshine boy is MIA, but we’re going to get him back.”

“WHAT?” The poor redhead nearly had a heart attack and stared at her boyfriend for answers. He only presented his phone so she could view the messages that had been sent the day before. Her light brown eyes scanned over the screen until she hesitantly handed the phone back. “As much as I hate this, what are we supposed to do? He’s with his family, waiting out the storm.”

“I don’t know, Al. Something feels off about this to me. Like, what does he mean by when he said he ‘supposedly’ had another allergic reaction?? That’s not phrased that way by accident.” He raised his eyebrows at Alya, letting his point sink in. “Something more is going on. My dude’s always been closed off when it comes to his private life but now it’s too much. I think he really needs help. I wanna talk to him.”

“But how? He doesn’t have his phone and he probably doesn’t plan on accessing the internet for similar reasons as to why he left it behind. I’m not sure what we’d be able to do.”

Her boyfriend gave her a mischievous look, “It’s not about what we're able to do. It’s what Rena Rogue and Carapace can do.”

For a second, she stared back at him incredulously. “No...we shouldn’t use our powers for anything other than emergencies,” she stared off for a second, but a familiar smile worked its way on to her face “... _buuuut_ this could also very easily be an emergency...” she back up to her boyfriend with the impish smile she loved to sport. Nino knew her too well. There was no way she was going to pass up an opportunity to become her alter ego again. A look of determination set in her eyes. “Alright, turtle boy. What are you thinking?”

**************

A virtual click sounded as Master Fu scrolled through the grimoire pictures for the hundredth time that day. He wasn’t exactly sure what he was looking for at this point. After just a few hours of pondering the situation, Fu realized all they needed was Ladybug’s cure to fix what the akuma had done to Chat. It was a frustratingly simple answer, and he was ashamed at how long it took him to come to the conclusion. As for the rest of the nightmare? There were too many questions and the ancient book wasn’t doing a good job of providing answers. Ironically, the wise guardian had to wait for two clueless teenagers to help solve some of the most major issues.

A pang of guilt ripped through his heart as he thought again about what he’d accidentally put the two of them through. It was never his intention for anything of this magnitude to happen. They were only school kids and he’d put the weight of the world on their shoulders. The fact that they had each other is what stopped Fu from taking the jewels away from them. They had shown they cared and supported one another through everything, and that was a recipe for success, despite how bad things got. 

The old man raised his eyes from the tablet to look at the sleeping form across the room. The poor kid was in a more dire state than Master Fu had initially thought. Over the course of the day, Adrien had awoken three different times. Each time he made it obvious that his condition was deteriorating. From what Master Fu could roughly gather, his body was rejecting the magic put inside of it by Amnesia. A small trash can was placed next to the boy strategically, as there had already been multiple incidents of him heaving the powerfully blue liquid. In fact, his skin had taken on a similar, neon hue and he looked like he was either freezing to death or about to go supernova. The seizure he’d had last night took a toll on his body he could barely afford. Master Fu couldn’t help but wonder how many times the poor child had been through this.

Each time Adrien woke up, he’d immediately tried to run away but failed to move past a sitting position. Fu was thankful he didn’t have to chase the superhero in his attempt to escape, but the inability to move was disconcerting, to say the least. He glanced at the clock. Marinette’s school would be ending soon, meaning she was only a few minutes away. As long as Adrien didn’t wake up again-

“Go!” the boy shot up from the mat screaming, effectively shaving a few precious years from Master Fu’s life. To the man’s surprise, Adrien managed to make it to a squatting position before his momentum pushed him over. The side of his face smashed back on to the end of the mat, which elicited a loud grunt. His eyes moved around the room frantically, but they never focused on anything for too long, including the only other person in the room. 

“Chat Noir, are you okay?” Master Fu approached him slowly with his hands in a surrender position. 

The boy’s eyes went wide as he followed the sound of the voice “Where am I? Who are you? What’s going on??” he tried to sit up again but his arms gave out and he crashed to the hard floor, off the side of the mat. Fu gave up the ‘non-threatening’ act and rushed to his side, supporting him and leaning him up against the wall. 

“I am Master Fu, I gave you the miraculous, do you remember?” The first time Adrien had woken up, Fu was surprised the blonde hadn’t remembered everything, but it made sense that the serum had kicked in after his episode. What was more concerning were the second and third times the boy hadn’t remembered what happened. It seemed his memory was setting back every time he woke up. Adrien shook his head in response to the test of his memory, but he also visibly relaxed as he realized he wasn’t in immediate peril. 

“How did I get here? What time is it? Why is everything so _blurry_ ? Does my father know where I am? _He’s going to kill me!_ ” his breaths were becoming shallow and the blue glow under his skin was intensifying. This was exactly why Master Fu had kept the hero asleep, using various massage and mental techniques, similar to hypnosis. The poor kid kept immediately going into frantic states, which seemed only to worsen his other symptoms. The solution may have been easy, but the waiting part was not. Fu checked the clock again. She’d be here any minute. If he put the boy asleep again, it would take hours for him to wake and give them the answers they desperately needed. Those were hours they might or might not have, considering the boy’s condition.

“Adrien, trust me for a moment. I need you to transform. Ladybug will be here any minute and we’ll explain everything. You’re safe for the time being, just transform.” Master Fu noticed another level of visible relaxation at the mention of his partner. He closed his eyes and a green light overtook him, replacing his soft pajamas with black leather. The blue glow of his skin reduced itself back to a hue and his breathing became more steady. “Better?”

Chat Noir nodded in response but still didn’t look focused. Feeling the need to say or do something, Master Fu got up and made a cup of tea. He wordlessly offered it to the boy who accepted it gently. He didn’t make a move to drink it but instead just held the hot cup in his hands, letting the steam rise up to kiss his face. 

Just then, a small knock echoed throughout the room. Chat Noir dropped the cup out of shock and it shattered on the hardwood floors. He tried to stand up but the old man stopped him and eased him back against the wall. “It’s just Ladybug, she’s here to help us. Wait here for just a moment”

Master Fu walked over to the door and cracked it open. Marinette’s concerned face met his and she tried to push her way into the room. She would have succeeded had he not blocked her. “Transform, Ladybug. We need your-” He was cut off by a pink light and suddenly Paris’s heroine stood before him. He nodded, knowing that explanations could wait and opened the door for her to enter. 

Ladybug’s heart broke at the sight that met her eyes. Her partner was huddled against the wall, giving a look of absolute terror at the two others in the room. Never had she seen him resemble a cat more, but this wasn’t her kitty. This was a feral animal: neglected, abused and trusting of no one. The cat ears were flat against his hair and his eyes were wide. He seemed to soften slightly at her image, but made no efforts to move or speak. 

“Chat...” she ran over to him and tackled him in a hug before he or Master Fu could stop her. Although it thoroughly surprised him, the cat hero returned the gesture. But it wasn’t the hug she had wanted. His arms were hardly wrapped around her and there was little effort on his part. Instead, his head fell on her shoulder like a ragdoll and he just leaned against her.

A small hand landed on her other shoulder. “He needs your cure. You can heal him.” She needed no further instructions.

Staying as still as possible, she pulled her yo-yo out and threw it up gently, whispering “Miraculous Ladybug,” as she did so. The room erupted with red and black energy, but it all seemed to focus on the boy in front of her. She felt the small ladybugs flit around her as she imagined the magic fixing every part of him that had been damaged. By the time the energy had receded back into her weapon, she felt her partner’s grip around her strengthening. He moved his hands up her back and pulled her into an unexpected, deeper hug. His head still rested on her shoulder and she could hear him crying as tears fell from his eyes onto her costume. 

Master Fu let the two sit there for as long as they needed. The ladybugs fixed all the physical ailments of the heroes. But the mental trauma? That would need a different solution. One achieved through unconditional caring and trust for one another. Eventually, a small “Thank you” was heard and Chat released Ladybug from his death grip.

She looked him over sadly and replied “You never have to thank me. I’m sorry it took us so long to find you.” He looked up at her, tears still sliding down his face. But he looked _so_ much better than he had just moments before. The difference was night and day.

“Guess the cat’s out of the bag? It’s nice to meet you, Ladybug. My name’s Adrien.” His voice barely broke a whisper but there was a certain strength to be heard in it. He held out his hand and made a lousy attempt at a smile. Marinette’s heart welled at hearing him make a pun. It was embarrassing, but it was him. A spotted hand accepted the clawed one and shook it gently. Marinette breathed for the first time that day. She had pulled him back from where he had gone. He was here, and he was safe. She smiled back at him through tears of her own and came to the single most important realization of her life. 

She loved her partner with every ounce of her being.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What??? The Cure worked???? Now you all get to wonder if I just Deus Ex Machina'd the shit out of this fic or if I have something more planned. But, honestly thank god sunshine child is feeling better. It was getting pretty rough there for a minute. 
> 
> As always, thank you so much for reading!
> 
> P.S. If you're super bored, go check out my new one-shot, called "Oh, Ms. Believer." It might make up for all the angst I sent your way with this chapter.


	12. (Self) Identity

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all, this is a long one because it took forever to reach a good cut-off point and I don't know when to stop. Nevertheless, enjoy!

He had made so many plans for how they’d finally reveal their identities to one another: a picnic on the Eiffel tower, a “blind” movie date, hell even a simple, honest conversation. But in a million years, Adrien never expected for her to find out the way she had. His missing memories of the past few weeks had come rushing back to his mind and it was overwhelming, to say the least. So he tried to focus on tangible things, like his partner in front of him. He used the feeling of her in his arms to center himself and anchor his thoughts from wandering too far into the depths of insanity. Having so many jarring experiences suddenly put back in his mind was almost more than he could handle, but he held on to her. 

He held on _for_ her. 

_Just put one foot in front of the other_ , wasn’t that the song about learning how to walk? Taking one step at a time was the best way (the only way) to deal with everything in his mind right now. He tried to focus on anything he could rectify immediately. It was like having a mental trauma checklist: he knew everything would have to be dealt with eventually, but not all at once. For now, he’d focus on the girl in front of him. Chat squeezed her tighter but then frantically released his grip around her body. _I didn’t mean to hold so tightly, I hope I didn’t hurt her_. 

The two pulled away and made eye contact with each other. Adrien once again noticed how blue her eyes were. He felt himself collapse into them and was met with a warm ocean wave rushing over him. It washed him of his nightmarish reality and left him with a weightlessness that he could only describe as relief. How could one look be so powerful?

He held out his hand and for the first time and spoke his name to his partner. A small part of him desperately hoped she’d return the gesture with her own civilian name, but no words accompanied her action as she accepted the handshake. She did offer a smile and that was more than enough for the blonde. Their handshake morphed into her pulling him up from the floor. He was once again met with relief, but this time it came with being able to stand on his own. Adrien hadn’t realized how terrible he had been feeling until he was cured. His head felt as if a hot, heavy spike had finally been pulled out of it. His muscles weren’t sore and the constant, underlying nausea had finally subsided. 

“We have a lot to discuss,” Master Fu finally broke the silence of the room, startling each teen out of their own trance. He gestured widely to the table in the corner, where the teapot and a couple teacups lay waiting. It was uncomfortably casual as the three of them walked over to the table and sat down, as if they were simply friends meeting for lunch. Chat was tempted to de-transform for some sense of normalcy, but he doubted the sight of his civilian self would do much to help that cause. So he remained as he was for the time being.

“Before we inquire of any events, we need to make a decision regarding you two as a pair. To know another is not to know the person’s face, but to know their heart,” the old man began, earning puzzling looks from both of the young heroes sitting across from him. “That is to say, you two already know each other, despite previously lacking the others’ name. You know how to work together, you trust each other, you think with one mind. Keeping your names hidden was a necessary step for your own protection, and the two of you worked beautifully.” He sighed deeply before continuing. 

“The ladybug and black cat miraculous are about maintaining balance. As I have mentioned before, these two hold more power than the others combined, and thus their holders are burdened with more responsibility. Whenever Ladybug creates, Chat Noir should be there to destroy or vice versa. You two not only compliment, but counteract one another. But, the balance has been thrown off now that one of your identities has been compromised. Additionally, Adrien’s personal connection to Hawkmoth has created unforeseen complications. At this time, we’re left with few options, none of which are ideal.”

Master Fu rubbed his eyes. He’d known other Ladybugs and Chat Noirs, but they paled in comparison to the current pairing that sat in front of him now. “In order to maintain balance, we have three options. (1) One of you renounces your miraculous and we find another who pairs well with remaining. For example, if Chat were to give up his ring, it would take time to find new partner for Ladybug, but it would allow Adrien to step back from the issue and deal with all of this as a civilian, as he has a right to do.” 

Chat Noir choked on his tea at the suggestion. Give up his miraculous? The only positive aspect of his life at the moment? It seemed like the deepest layer of Hell. He’d already visited a couple different levels, but losing his freedom and Ladybug would be the straw that broke the camel’s back. He needed to face his father, as much as he despised the idea. The responsibility was his and his alone. Hawkmoth was a monster that needed to be defeated by _this_ Ladybug and Chat Noir, not some poor replacement. Gabriel Agreste needed to be dealt with by his _son_ , not some copycat. 

One look at the cat hero and Master Fu knew he should continue listing options. He didn’t even get the chance to look at Ladybug before she spoke. “With all do respect Master, I prefer to have Adrien fight by my side. I either fight with him, or not at all.”

Expecting as much, Master Fu continued. “That brings us to the second option: We find a new Ladybug _and_ Chat Noir to take up the mantle for you two.” A silence fell over the room as the two heroes shared a wordless conversation. Neither supplied a response, so the guardian presented them with the third option. 

“Or, Ladybug could decide to reveal her identity to you, Chat. It’ll create a depth of complexity in your relationship that may or may not hinder your ability to work together. But, it is the only way for us to maintain balance without finding a replacement for either of you.” 

Another silent conversation was all it took was one look for Chat and Ladybug to come to a conclusion. “Option three,” they spoke in perfect unison. Master Fu couldn’t help but chuckle. Despite the stress and trauma that accompanied the superhero life, it seemed like the two were intent on maintaining their roles. An identity reveal was a risk, one Master Fu hadn’t previously been willing to take, but the two teens in front of him were better matched for each other than he had ever seen. “Are you sure?” the guardian made direct eye contact with both, but lingered longer on the girl. 

“Yes, master,” she replied, looking at Adrien. “He's the only partner I’ll ever be able to work with. I trust him blindly with my life. Trusting him with my name is easy.”

“On the count of three?” Chat’s voice sounded from across the table. Ladybug nodded in response. 

“One…”

“Two…”

“Three.” The last count was spoken together as each released their transformation. 

Adrien closed his eyes, heart beating wildly as he prepared to finally see his lady in all her civilian perfection. After a single deep breath, he opened his eyes slowly to see...blurriness?

The room around him was like ink on paper that had been caught in rain. His surroundings were impossible to make out. He saw two darker blobs in front of him, but nothing more. If he hadn’t known who was sitting where, he’d be unable to decipher which blob was Master Fu and which was Ladybug. He squinted at the one he knew was his partner, but his vision failed to sharpen. After all this waiting, he still had no idea who Ladybug was. 

“Well?” he heard her voice ask apprehensively.

Adrien just squinted and rubbed his eyes. Nothing. “I can’t see you,” his voice wavered slightly with anxiety.

“What do you mean you can’t see me?” Was that an accusing voice, or a concerned one? Accusingly concerned, maybe?

“I-I don’t know. Everything is really fuzzy and I can’t make anything out.” He turned his head to the blob he knew was Master Fu. “Why can’t I see!?” His eyes widened as they tried to focus on the man, but nothing changed. He heard an audible gasp from one of the two of them, but he couldn’t decipher which one. 

“Adrien, your eyes, they’re ringed with blue...” came Ladybug’s voice. He imagined her scrunching her eyebrows in concern as she always did when she used that tone. 

“I’m sorry, _what_?” What the hell was she talking about? He wished he could see his own eyes, but right now he couldn’t even see his own hands clearly. One of the blobs moved from their sitting position and walked behind him. There were clicking and grinding sounds, as if gears were turning. Adrien heard a few pops and...sliding sounds(?) before the shape returned.

“Here,” Master Fu’s voice sounded from in front of him. Was he...giving him something? The blonde timidly lifted his hands to meet the blob’s and he felt something thin placed in his palms. He recognized the feeling of a pair of glasses. Oh, that made sense he supposed. But what were the chances these matched whatever prescription Adrien’s eyes needed? He didn’t even know what prescription he needed, his eyesight wasn’t this bad yesterday!

Regardless, he tentatively situated the glasses on his face. Immediately, he felt an energy rush over his body, paired with slight fatigue. He recognized the feeling instantly. These glasses were a miraculous of some kind. It took a few moments but everything began to adjust and come into a crystal clear focus. The boy blinked back and saw the reassuring face of Master Fu looking down on him. 

“Better?” the old man offered. 

“Much,” Adrien offered and causally turned his head to the other person in the room, forgetting temporarily that this was supposed to be The Big Reveal. He made eye contact with Marinette and went to turn back to the guardian for some answers before doing a double take. 

“ _M_ _arinette??”_

She blushed furiously and her entire face quickly came to resemble the red of her superhero suit. Adrien simply stared back in awe for a couple moments because _of course_ Ladybug was _Marinette!_ Before he could stop himself, he began laughing at how oblivious he’d been for so long. It was a deep, sincere laugh that he hadn’t felt since the same girl had gotten caught in her umbrella. 

He opened his eyes after a few moments of laughter and saw a look of pure anxiousness. It was definitely more of a 'Marinette' look than one Ladybug would give. _How could I have missed this?_ He stood up from his place on the ground and approached her. She stood up to meet him. Their eyes met and he asked wordlessly for permission before engulfing her in another bone-crushing hug. She seemed caught off guard but quickly hugged him back. Though they had been holding each other just a few minutes before in a similar fashion, it seemed strangely different, but in the best way possible. 

Adrien quietly whispered “No one else could possibly be you,” before he pulled away to look at her face again. She was still blushing more than he had seen anyone blush before, but her anxiety was replaced by confidence. A tiny, adorable smirk graced her lips and she looked back at him. _Of course Ladybug is Marinette_. He wanted to revel in this moment for eternity but knew there was too much waiting to talk about. 

“Master, what happened to his eyes?” The heroes maintained eye contact as Ladybug spoke to the man behind her partner. Her smile dropped to a small concerned frown. 

Oh shit, he’d almost forgotten about that little detail. Adrien turned around to the short man and removed the miraculous from his face. The room immediately resembled a rainy window pane. He returned the glasses to his eyes and everything snapped back to sharpness. 

“Yeah, what did happen? It’s like I have a horrible astigmatism in both eyes. I can’t see anything except color and really rough shapes.”

Master Fu gestured for the two to return to their seats around the table. He began his reply as he did so, “Honestly, I don’t know. From what Marinette told me, light "exploded" from your eyes last night. I suspect something similar took place every time you were affected by Amnesia or her...serum.” He turned briefly to look at the Tupperware that previously contained the disgusting blue liquid. Thankfully, the cure had hid any traces of it ever being there.

“It’s possible the damage the soft tissue in your eyes endured was more than the ladybugs could cure. Alternatively…” he trailed off for a moment before continuing. “I’m sure you two have heard ‘the eyes are the windows to the soul’. The change may be reflecting a spiritual change after all you’ve experienced. It’s not the first time I’ve experienced something along those lines, but it’s rare. It might be a combination of both, I don’t know.”

The second explanation did not set easy with Adrien. Something about his _soul_ had permanently changed because all of this? That sounded bad...like _really_ bad. But the first explanation reminded him of something. About a week ago, hadn’t Ladybug thrown her cure for the Descry akuma?

“Wait a second. Why did the cure work now, but not then?” he asked the room. Both returned with confused stares. 

“When?” Ladybug questioned. 

“After Descry. I remember now, I had definitely been put under the effects of Amnesia by that point. Why wasn’t I healed until today? Shouldn’t the ladybugs have healed everything caused by akumas?”

Master Fu sighed and took a long sip of his tea before beginning the explanation. “Long ago, supposedly small deities accompanied the miraculous. They powered the users and their presence strengthened the magic abilities of the chosen heroes. But they also had a say in what their users could use their powers for. It was a give and take: be given incredible responsibility, but use it for the benefit of the majority. During such times, it is said that Ladybug’s cure would heal any sort of damage. It wasn’t limited to magic, or even fixing something done by a miraculous. It could even bring people back to life.”

“That’s a lot of power,” Marinette mumbled. “But what does that have to do with what happened with Adrien?”

Master Fu simply held a hand up to quiet her before continuing. Clearly, there was much more to the story. “According to those who trained me, an ancient guardian became frustrated at the limitations that accompanied the deities of the miraculous. He found a way to permanently fuse the gods with their jewels in the hope that their absence would allow him to obtain a more absolute power. The deities were no longer capable of a physical form and instead remained inside the jewelry, like a genie trapped eternally in his lamp. Although most of the magic remained intact, users noticed limitations were still present. But now, it was affecting their abilities rather than their uses of the miraculous.”  
  
“So in exchange for the choice of what to use the miraculous for, wielders became weaker? More or less?” Adrien didn’t like the thought of wearing a tiny prison on his ring finger. He hoped the tale was simply a fable to teach trainee guardians to maintain balance and not try to achieve ultimate power. But something about the way Master Fu spoke made him feel as though it were the truth.

“That’s a good way of putting it, Chat Noir. Now, as to the validity of this tale, I cannot be sure. However it does a decent job of explaining how the miraculous work. Hawkmoth is free to choose whether he uses his power for good or evil, but it is slightly limited as a result. Instead of being able to akumatize anyone, he is restricted to affecting only those experiencing extreme emotions. Ladybug, your Lucky Charm frequently needs to be paired with other objects in order to work, instead of being the solution itself. Your Cure displays a similar situation in that it can heal anything, but you must be thinking about it. In previous akuma attacks, you’ve focused on the effects of that akuma and thus everything related was repaired. In Adrien’s instance, you were unaware of Amnesia and thus your Cure had no effect. Once you became aware and focused your magic on fixing him, he was healed."

At that news, Marinette's facial expression changed completely. She went from being interested to almost horrified. 

"You mean, someone might not have been healed simply because I wasn't thinking of them? How often does that happen? How many times have people been hurt??"

Fu reached over and laid his hand over hers. "Marinette, you've done a nearly perfect job as the protector of this city. Your Cure heals anything related to the akuma attacks, and thus it heals most injuries. Like anything in this world, there is no way to ensure it is completely successful, but you can't hold that responsibility on your shoulders."

"My lady, if I may add, so many buildings would be destroyed, and many, many people would be hurt without you. Even if somethings slip through the cracks, we're lucky you're here to fix everything you have. That's why they call you miraculous." Marinette seemed to relax, if only slightly, at his words. But she was clearly disturbed that the Cure wasn't as inclusive as she previously believed. Adrien wondered why Fu waited until this moment to tell her such an important bit of information. It was possible that he always just assumed the only damage would be from the obvious akuma attacks and that she'd never have to go out searching for other mishaps to cure. Because knowing Marinette, she wouldn't sleep until she knew she had fixed everything.

The Guardian continued his earlier explanation before letting Adrien fully finish his thoughts. “Now, Chat Noir, your abilities are limited as well. When you use Cataclysm, it causes an object to crumble or break. But legend says it used to create a black hole of sorts that could completely eradicate the affected object. Luckily, this limitation often works in your favor, as it’s easier for a younger user to control a small amount of damage.” Master Fu sighed and continued his explanation. A slight hesitation could be heard as he spoke. “In addition...your _Catastrophic_ ability is limited in a similar way to Ladybug’s Miraculous Cure. ” Master Fu sent a hesitant smile, almost wincing at the reactions he was about receive. 

“My what now?” Adrien questioned, thoroughly confused. 

“It’s your second ability. Just as Ladybug has her Cure, you have your Storm. Your two miraculouses are more powerful than the others, and thus both of you have additional abilities. As I said earlier, where she creates, you destroy and vice versa. This particular ability can be viewed as the opposite to her cure. It’s called ‘Catastrophic Chat Noir’.” The master’s voice sounded reluctant and...sad?

“W-what does it do?” He asked, scared to hear the answer.

“Imagine Cataclysm as a hurricane. Former users and guardians have referred to it as ‘Black Storm’ because, well, that’s what it looks like. Ladybug’s Cure creates instantaneously whereas your Storm destroys instantaneously. Both work on a large scale. But, along with it comes constraints. You need to focus on what you want to destroy, just as Ladybug needs to focus on what she wants to fix.” The tension in the room had increased ten fold. 

“Why am I just hearing about this now?” This was the second time the thought has crossed his mind and Adrien couldn’t prevent the tones of betrayal that broke through his voice. He felt a feeling of horror similar to Marinette's cross his face. All this time he’d been left in the dark on something like this? What if he'd accidentally triggered it and killed someone?

He _hated_ secrets, now more than ever and it didn’t set well with him that Master Fu had been keeping such important information from him. Adrien had always wondered why the ladybug miraculous seemed so much more useful than the black cat’s. She had Lucky Charm, her Cure and the ability to purify akumas. Chat Noir? He could destroy stuff once every transformation. The scale was hardly balanced, or so he’d thought.

But...a new ability? One as powerful as Miraculous Ladybug? That was worth learning about. Adrien suppressed his emotions for the time being and let the guardian continue. 

“I hesitate to inform Chat Noirs of this power after tragedies that have happened in the past. While all miraculous can be misused, the black cat’s is often one of the most destructive, for obvious reasons. I apologize for not being transparent, but I had to be sure you would not use power for the wrong reasons. After watching you two for so long and seeing your resilience to do what’s right, I now feel confident entrusting you with such information.”

“Wait, so the Catastrophic Chat Noir is like the plague to my Cure? Cats just come out of nowhere and destroy everything like my ladybugs repair everything? That...that sounds like a meme.” Marinette looked incredulously at her Master. She spoke the last sentence to herself, but Adrien heard. She was totally right. A bunch of cats running around knocking shit over? It sounded like a viral video. It sounded fake. He hoped it was fake.

“It should resemble black energy more than actual cats, but yes. That’s more or less what happens. The trick is to think specifically on what you wish to destroy. Again, you can make the limitations work in your favor in this instance. Rather than wreaking complete havoc, you can destroy anything in the surrounding area, as long as you’re thinking about it.”

Adrien felt the nausea returning and suddenly felt the urge to run and grab the trash can by the mat. He had the power to do that much damage? Although it remained unspoken, Adrien knew the ability would affect people too. Just as Ladybug could cure a mass amount of people, he could kill them by uttering a simple phrase.

And that was _with limitations._ Who the hell thought it was a good idea to create something capable of that? “I-I’m going to pretend like I don’t know anything about this,” he spoke weakly. He no longer felt anger towards Fu for withholding such information. Such an ability was sickening. It felt like he was cursed with a burden, rather than blessed with a new ability. On top of everything else he had remembered, learning something of this magnitude was not setting well on his mind. 

“And that is exactly how I know I chose an excellent Chat Noir. I know it seems dark, but the power of destruction can be used for good, as you’ve always managed to do. It’s a lot to take in, but you two are the best holders I’ve seen in a while, despite being so young and new to this. I know you can handle and counteract each other. It’s time to show you all the tools in your tool shed in case the worst comes to fruition.”

That didn’t make Adrien feel any better. Telling the heroes of all their power meant Master Fu expected them to have to use it in the near future, probably against his father. Adrien was really considering grabbing the small trash can now. Using a cataclysmic storm to bring harm to his only family? It was a disgusting reality and Adrien hated that it was a possibility. He made intense eye contact with the guardian, but then moved his eyes over to meet his lady’s. “I promise Ladybug, I will _never_ use such a power to hurt anyone, unless it’s an absolute necessity.”

Her bluebell eyes showed a softness Adrien hadn’t seen since his mother. She trusted him, and that was an unfamiliar feeling. “I know, Chaton. I know.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Cringes at the terrible ending* I had to cut this chapter in two because it was getting a little out of control. 
> 
> This chapter was strongly fueled by my frustration that it's cannon that Chat has less 'abilities' than Ladybug even though the idea of balance is emphasized so much. Also, (completely unrelated) I'm confused by the fact that Hawkmoth can 'recreate' Lucky Charm and Cataclysm with his akumas. Because, wouldn't that make the butterfly miraculous more powerful than LB's or CN's as he can not only create champions, but also recreate the powers of the two strongest miraculous?? Oh well, just little details that I've thought about way too much lol. Hopefully they'll address such things one day.
> 
> Also! Chat's new abilities are based on the PV Chat Noir's "Black Storm" and "Black Hole" but I tweaked the concepts to work better in my fic. Here's the link I found to use as a reference if anyone's interested: https://miraculousladybug.fandom.com/wiki/Cataclysm
> 
> Thanks for reading! See you all next chapter!


	13. New to This

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoops, sorry for the wait. Last week's second update got sacrificed in exchange for me planning out the rest of this fic (which I'm very excited about now). But, in all honesty, I think I might drop down to only one update per week 'cause I'm suddenly busy again. I'll guess we'll see how it goes.
> 
> Here's chapter 13! It's kind of a lull in the action, but our boi needs a break, wouldn't you agree? Enjoy!

They remained at Master Fu’s for hours, discussing the in’s and out’s of Adrien’s life for the past months. It could’ve been seen as a therapy session of sorts, except remembering the detail of every encounter was stressing the blonde out rather than calming him down. He’d pulled his notebook out of his duffle bag and showed Marinette and Master Fu the clues he'd left for himself to find. 

Seeing such terrifying words scribbled out in his own handwriting made everything seem so _real_ and he felt his heartbeat increasing to an alarming speed. He closed his eyes and took multiple deep breaths in a desperate attempt to calm himself down. He decided to focus on the smells around him. Like the scent of the steam rising from the tea in front of him sending hints of chamomile and lemon. Clouds of incense hung heavily in the air and Adrien focused, trying to identify the components. Lavender, maybe? Accompanied by a hint of cedar, it smelled like an antique shop; Holding the secrets of the past for the benefit of the future.

When he opened his eyes, two other pairs were staring at him. The feeling of anxiousness immediately came back, but a little less strong this time. Yeah, he was definitely going to need a professional therapist once this was all over. 

“Adrien, I am so sorry you went through all of this. I had no idea - you acted as if nothing was wrong at school. I just can’t believe…I’m so sorry.” Marinette looked off to the side, no longer willing to make eye contact with her partner. Adrien recognized the mannerism immediately. Ladybug did something similar every time she thought she’d failed or didn’t feel confident in her abilities. 

“You have no reason to be sorry. It’s not your fault my life is a mess.” He sent a chuckle and a smile her way, but she saw through it almost instantly. 

“A mess that we’re going to rectify. Adrien, you have a wonderfully heroic support team and we’re going to make sure we all get through this.” The guardian reached out and put a hand on the boy's as he spoke. The blonde smiled honestly, then. It was so nice to have his lady and Fu here with him. Maybe his bad luck was turning around. “But...there’s still some more information we’ll need from you, if you’re willing.” Master Fu raised his eyebrows, asking for permission to continue. Adrien nodded.

“Ladybug said you knew who Mayura was?”

“It’s not confirmed, as I never actually saw her transformed, but it makes too much sense to deny. Nathalie, my father’s assistant was there almost every time. She was willingly akumatized into Amnesia. It only makes sense that she’s been working with him all along.”

“Hmmm…” was the man’s only response as he stroked his beard. 

“That’s why your father was so protective over the grimoire, too. That and the peacock miraculous were his tools to gain what he wanted.” Marinette thought aloud. She was making the same face as Master Fu: putting all the clues together. 

“Long ago, I lost the Butterfly brooch, the peacock pin and the grimoire as I fled the temple.” Master Fu sounded utterly defeated. “That must be where he found it.”

“But Master, it’s not translated, is it? How could Hawkmoth know what happens when our miraculous are used in tandem?”

“I do not know. It’s possible he was able to understand some phrases by using modern Tibetan or a different language that shares an ancient language parent. If he paired the illustrations in the book with a small amount of knowledge, he might’ve understood some vague ideas. But there’s so much more about combining the powers of creation and destruction that need to be known before attempting to use them.”

The girl suddenly turned to him, her calculating eyes running through a million possibilities. “On the roof yesterday, you said something about an exchange? Saying that Hawkmoth was going to kill you. The same idea is written in your notes.” She flipped through the pages until she found and pointed on the second to last note he’d written. Adrien’s memories were fuzzy around their conversation from the day before, but he recognized the epiphany she was talking about.

He took a shaky breath, the kind that always accompanied a good crying session. “Yeah...so my father wants to use the ‘wish’ to bring back my mom. I-I don’t know what’s happened to her if she’s just in a coma or…” He trailed off for a moment before continuing because, honestly, he had no idea how to explain the situation surrounding his mother. Adrien sighed and recollected his thoughts. He would allow himself to feel later. Right now he needed to be in survival mode. 

“But, we know there’s a price that comes with making the wish. A maintenance of balance.” Marinette piped up to help him finish his thoughts. She wasn’t looking at him when she spoke, but down at the table. She was piecing everything together and Adrien knew she figured it out before he said it aloud. 

“Yeah. I’ve seen the idea in tv shows, and even in physics. The law of the conservation of matter, or an equivalent exchange. She can’t just be brought back without something being given in return.” He stopped for a moment, suppressing a shaky breath. “I-I think it’ll kill me if he revives my mother. One family member for another? It makes sense. I don’t know if my father knows this.” _I hope he doesn’t_. Adrien then turned to look up at Master Fu. Partly for confirmation, partly for reassurance. The idea that his father was (intentionally, or not) trying to actually kill him was enough to send him into a catatonic state of stress. Adrien was purely relying on the two people in front of him to keep him afloat at the moment. 

The room was silent as the three let everything sink in. Adrien took the glasses off and rubbed his eyes aggressively. He then just let his hands cover his face for a few moments, breathing deeply, in and out, centering himself. He opened his eyes again and was met with a blurred scene, but he didn’t put the miraculous back on. It was all too much. He slouched back and rested heavily on his hands, just sitting in the silence for a few moments. 

A loud _ba-ding_ sounded from across the table and Adrien thought he heard Marinette’s soul leave her body for a split second as she startled. He sat forward and put the glasses back on as she pulled out her phone and scanned her eyes over the notification. Any distraction was welcomed from the previous revelation. He needed to think about something else, _anything_ else before he fell off the deep end. 

“It-it’s from the Ladyblog? Alya said Rena Rogue and Carapace contacted her. They’re trying to reach out to Ladybug and Chat Noir for a meeting. They need to talk about something important.” Her eyes shot up to her partner and then to Master Fu. 

  
“Should we…? Now that he knows who I am, he’d probably figure it out soon anyway.”

The guardian sighed and closed his eyes. “As always, you’re right Marinette. But…let’s watch him figure it out on his own. It’s always more fun that way.” Adrien was shocked to see a mischievous smile grace the old man’s face. 

“What’s going on?” He asked, highly suspicious of the missing context but very grateful for the change of topic.

“Rena Rogue and Carapace. I was the one who chose them to be temporary heroes. You know who I am now, so you can probably guess who I’d choose to fight alongside me in battle.”

Adrien thought about the other heroes, biting his lip slight as he did so. Rena Rogue was sassy, confident and strangely knowledgeable when it came to this sort of stuff. Carapace was much less confident, but extremely protective over the other holders and very kind. Put those characteristics together with people Marinette trusted and knew? The answer was clear.

“Huh,” Adrien chuckled slightly. “Of course, Alya and Nino.” This entire time he’d been fighting with the dynamic quartet. “No wonder we all worked so well together.” God, the _irony_ of it all. 

“Bingo. But, what could they need Ladybug and Chat Noir for? They’ve never attempted to contact me before, something must be going on.” Marinette began nervously playing with the strands of hair bordering her face.

Adrien thought for a moment. What would elicit Alya and Nino to be so worried that they needed a private meeting with Ladybug?

“Oh, shit. The text.” And the guilt came flooding back to Adrien. Why had he thought that text to Nino had been a good idea? He should’ve called him, or sent directions to a secret meeting place or _something_. “I sent Nino a message before I ran away, saying I’d gotten in a fight with my father and was staying with family out of town for the time being. But then I broke my phone and dropped it in water to avoid having my father track me down. They’re probably freaking out about my disappearance, trying to solve the mystery and find me.”

A part of his heart swelled with love for his friends. They were willing to go to great lengths just to check in on him. But the other half of his heart wilted and fell apart. He’d caused them so much stress and worry when all they’d ever done was support him. Them, Marinette, Master Fu, his bodyguard and teachers…. There were so many people who were probably worried sick about him and it made him feel terrible for running away. 

“Hey,” Marinette reached over and grabbed his fingers, rubbing her thumb over them soothingly. “You did what you needed to do. Everyone will understand once this is all over.” Her undying comfort and positivity was exactly what Adrien needed. He’d never be able to understand how he’d ended up with such an amazing partner.

“It’s been an emotional day for both of you and I believe you two have earned a break. I think a meeting with your friends would be beneficial.” Master Fu broke Adrien from his thoughts. “Tomorrow, you can play superhero. But for tonight, go and try to be kids.”

**************

About a half an hour later, Adrien sat alone with Master Fu in his parlor. 

“It works the same as your other miraculous. Feel it’s energy coursing through you and imagine yourself becoming one with its power. The tricky part will be separating the feeling of the glasses from the ring.” The guardian gestured to each accessory respectively as he explained how to use them. “Go on and give it a try.”

“Ok, ok, ok. I can do this.” He ignored the familiar weight on his finger and instead focused on the feeling of the glasses on his face. He imagined himself becoming completely in sync with the new miraculous and willed its power to overtake him. A flash of teal consumed him and Adrien immediately recognized the additional strength and power coursing through his veins. Except this time, it felt slightly different. Maybe even...weaker?

“Very good, Adrien.” Master Fu looked at him proudly. It had been a while since someone had given him such a fond smile.

Adrien turned to look at himself in the reflection of the window, as it was now dark outside and he could clearly make out his image. The first thing he noticed was the new length of his hair. The blonde strands were pulled back into a medium-length ponytail while the side of his head were almost shaved. Small, ovular glasses covered his eyes and acted as his mask. His shoulders and upper torso were covered in a chocolate-colored armor. A thick utility belt wrapped around his waist and extended into a long plate that rested against his back, almost like a saddle. He rested his hands on his hips, noticing a strange horseshoe resting there. That must’ve been his weapon. 

The rest of the suit was plain and simple, save for the boots that came up to his mid-calf which were brown with teal accents. Plumes extended off the back of them and ran in a straight line from the top to the bottom. Honestly, it looked a little ridiculous to him, but the power of teleportation was something he was excited to try. 

Master Fu’s phone chimed. The old man checked the message and then looked back up to the blonde. “Marinette is ready for you. Just call ‘Voyage’ and think about where you want to go. You’ll be able to open a portal and walk through. Maintaining concentration is key.” He nodded as a sign of encouragement to try the new power.

Adrien closed his eyes and imagined Marinette’s bedroom. The loft, the desk, the window. He tried to remember every detail as to make the transition from one location to another as smooth as possible. 

“Voyage!” He spoke while opening his eyes. A small ring appeared around his wrist and he punched it forward. It expanded into a teal, spinning gateway. Adrien glanced once more at Master Fu and then stepped through.

As soon as his entire body passed to the other side, he felt the effects of gravity pulling him down. There was no time to react before he crashed into the raven-haired girl standing beneath him. A huge boom echoed through the bakers’ house as he landed on top of Marinette, who’d been caught off-guard by the sneak attack. A loud, high-pitched shriek accompanied the boom and Adrien wasn't sure if it came from his throat or Marinette's.

Adrien immediately pushed himself off of her. “I’m so sorry!”

Although shocked, she appeared unharmed and quite amused. “I-it’s oka-”

“Marinette, are you okay!?” They could hear footsteps on the stairs beneath the trapdoor and instantly knew her mother was about to enter the room to check on her daughter. 

The two shared a look of fear. There was no way they were going to be able to explain what a horse-themed superhero was doing in Marinette’s bedroom and how he’d gotten there. Adrien wished with all his might that he’d landed on the balcony instead. That way, he’d have an easier escape in a moment like this. He imagined the black railing, her lawn-chair, the little plants and the view. Out of pure desperation, he punched his hand towards his feet and uttered “Voyage,” to himself. 

He was sucked into a freefall for an instant and then found himself on the balcony. He looked above him just in time to see the portal disappear. _That worked??_ He’d been able to use the ability twice in a row? How was that possible? Adrien inspected his hands as if they weren’t his own. _How had that worked??_

From the room beneath him, he could barely make out Marinette frantically speaking with her mother, assuring her that she’d just fallen over. He didn’t even laugh at her comical excuses and just continued to stare at his hands. Suddenly, a familiar exhaustion overtook him and he knew he needed to release the transformation. The teal light zipped back up his body and he stood once more in the black hoodie and jeans he’d changed into at Master Fu’s.

So...the horse miraculous had two ‘Voyages’? Why did every other miraculous only allow the heroes to use their powers once?

A few minutes later, Marinette popped out of the door that led to her bedroom. “What just happened?”

Adrien stared back at her, just as confused. “I-I don’t know. We’ll have to ask Master Fu about it. But...I think I used the special ability twice. I’ve never been able to do that.”

Although dumbfounded and maybe a little...envious(?) Marinette smirked back at him. She offered her hand and pulled him towards the entry to her room. “Well, aren’t you full of surprises today.” 

He only scoffed in return.

Once back inside, Adrien made a move to grab Marinette’s phone from where it lay on the desk. The girl blocked him before he could grab it. “Whatcha doing?”

He mentally slapped himself. What was he doing? Trying to use her phone without asking first was extremely rude. After every inconvenience he’d already caused her, it was like rubbing salt in a wound to treat her with disrespect. He just felt so comfortable around her now that he knew she was his masked best friend that it hadn’t even occurred to him to ask before using her stuff. 

“Oh, I’m so sorry. I was going to use your phone to call Master Fu and ask him about the horse miraculous. I should’ve asked first. Please forgive me, Marinette. May I use your phone?” He sent her the nicest smile she could gather but only received a questioning look in response. 

Her confusion then morphed into an impish grin. “No, you may not. Feel free to use my phone for anything, _except_ calling Master Fu or your dad. You never have to ask before using any of my stuff, Kitty. I think we’re past those boundaries.” She smiled again and handed him her phone. “ _But_ , we’re not doing anymore hero stuff tonight. Right now, you’re not Chat or Horse-man - love the ponytail by the way - You’re Adrien and you’re going to act like a teenager, okay?”

Her hands rested on her hips in her ‘Ladybug Power Stance’ as he had dubbed it. Once she struck that pose, there was no changing her mind or getting her to back down. He sighed and yielded to her demands, but knew it wasn’t as easy as she made it sound. There was no way Adrien was going to be able to ignore everything. But, he’d try. For Marinette’s sake and his own. Master Fu wouldn’t have instructed them to relax for an evening had he not thought it to be important. 

“I already texted Nino and Alya. They’re on their way over, but don’t know why. I figured it would be fun to surprise them, no?” She raised one eyebrow convincingly before sitting down on her wooden floor against her chaise. Adrien just stared at her in awe for a moment. How she remained so calm amidst all of this was astonishing. But, part of him understood. The feeling of being in her room, feeling the coziness and teenage-ness of it all, made Adrien feel like he could almost forget about the nightmarish reality that plagued him. Right now, he was safe and hidden. And they were going to take advantage of the eye of the hurricane while they could. 

Marinette smiled and grabbed his hand to pull him down to the ground in front of her chaise. She sat right next to him, close enough so that they would touch arms if either of them moved even slightly. An unspoken awkwardness hung in the air and the familiarity of everything disappeared suddenly. Adrien became painfully aware of the fact that he was sitting right next to his lady, his one true love. Not only that, she was unmasked and they were sitting in her _bedroom._

He glanced over at her right as she looked at him. Instead of looking away, they accepted the other's scrutinizing glares and stared at each other in what was probably the friendliest, yet most aggressive staring contest that had ever taken place. But their dynamic was already so damn weird, that this probably wouldn't hurt it. Adrien was running his eyes all over her face, trying to mentally create a red and black mask over it. Obviously, Marinette was Ladybug. But visualizing Marinette with a mask was almost impossible, despite the fact that they looked identical. Was that some sort of magic that prevented him from seeing the real her?

After much too long, he lowered his eyes from hers and noticed her biting the inside of her lip. "What's wrong?"

"N-nothing's gone, uh, wrong. I meant wrong. Nothing's wrong."

"My lady, you're chewing your lip. That means something's wrong.

Marinette tightened her face and blushed furiously. "That's something Chat would say, not Adrien."

"I'm the same person, bugaboo." But he understood what she meant. After knowing two parts of her separately for so long, it seemed unnatural for two people to blend into one identity. 

"I know, but i-it's weird."

"I know." He looked down. It was weird that Adrien had a massive crush on Marinette and didn't know it. That's probably where all this tension was coming from. She knew Chat loved her, which mean Adrien loved her. That was probably just taking some getting used to. He scooted away slightly as to give her space.

Immediately, Marinette whipped her head up and scooted closer to him. "Come back here, kitty." She wrapped her arm behind his back placed her head on his shoulder, but there was still plenty of tension in her body. "I know it's weird, but just pretend we're Ladybug and Chat Noir. We know each other, really well. Just look at our battles! We're constantly ending up on top of one anothe--ER I MEAN-"

Adrien just laughed. A deep, belly laugh that had been hidden away, deep inside of him. As he did, he felt the walls he'd recently built around him collapsing and crumbling to ashes. Ladybug always did that. And, now that he thought about it, Marinette did too. Slowly, but surely he was recognizing them as one person. 

Ignoring her stammering and embarrassed blush, he followed her lead and pulled her in closer to him, while pushing his face into her hair. He smelled the familiar fragrance of lavender and baked goods. For a moment, his surroundings melted away and he felt as though he were sitting atop a roof, lounging with his lady before patrol. Sometimes he’d lay his head on hers and relish her closeness. He’d done it on multiple occasions, particularly when he’d had bad days. It was more of an intimate position, but Ladybug had always seemed okay with him doing it. She made him feel safe and secure. He knew no one could ever hurt him while his lady was at his side. 

Here, sitting against the pink chaise, an identical thought ran through his head. Everything was the same except the setting and the lack of masks. Ladybug was his love, his passion, his safety blanket. Here and now, resting his face in her hair and relying on her for his survival, he realized the exact same was true for Marinette. It had always been. From the first moment he saw her stand up for herself (even if it was against him) to all the times she stood up for others. She was kind, intelligent and selfless.

There was a reason he’d called her the ‘Everyday Ladybug’. Maybe there had been more emotions attached to that statement than he’d originally realized. Because everything about Ladybug was true for Marinette, including how much her partner loved her. 

He looked around her room, glancing at all her pictures tacked up on the walls. Pictures of her and Alya, of her and her girls, pictures of kitty sections and her parents. But mostly, pictures of _him_. Everywhere he looked were photos from his shoots or taken from school. Little hearts adorned almost every one. Although she’d originally said they were spades and that his photos were just for designing references, he couldn’t help but think differently now as he studied them. Hadn’t Ladybug said she had a crush on someone? Had that person actually been Adrien Agreste?

Was _he_ the other boy??

Adrien stifled another laugh. Had they really been trapped in a terrible love square of unrequited love for each other? If his suspicions were correct, their situation was ridiculous. _Utterly_ ridiculous.

He pulled her closer again to the point where she was practically sitting on his lap, but she didn’t resist. Instead, she moved with him and situated herself in front of his body. Her legs spread out in front of her and his moved off to the side slightly to make room for her small figure. Her torso was directly in front of his and he wrapped his arms around her waist tightly, in the hope that they could just sit here like this forever. He rested his chin on her shoulder and whispered the only fact he knew to be true with his entire essence. 

  
“I think I love you, Marinette Dupain-Cheng.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I ship it! I ship it so hard. 
> 
> Also, I completely fabricated the whole "Adrien needs glasses" plot point purely because I wanted him to have glasses. But, I liked the effect it had on the story, so I kept it. Note about Adrien's horse-transformation: he's got the saddle-esque plate armor on his back as an equivalent for the bell he has as Chat. Both are symbols of domestication, and he's still looking for a home, which is why he has it (though he's officially on the right track!). 
> 
> Thank you so much for reading!


	14. Answers

“I just feel bad for ditching Marinette immediately after school, she seemed really distraught all day.” Alya picked up her phone again, reading a new message from the girl. She held the screen so her boyfriend could see it. _Hey Alya, where are you rn?_ Nino knew the redhead had been worried all day about her best friend. But, unfortunately, they had bigger fish to fry.

“I know, Al. But Marinette’s, like, the strongest dudette I’ve ever met. She’ll be okay. We gotta prioritize here. First, we find Adrien, then we can focus on her.” He put his hand on his girlfriend’s shoulder for support, peering over her shoulder as she sent back a message. _I’m hanging with Nino at my house. He’s having a rough day. What if you and I have a girl’s day this weekend? Seems like there are rough days all around._ Sent.

“Yeah...yeah you’re right. She’s probably bummed about her love life or something. Maybe that test we got back yesterday in math. Either way,” she snapped her head back up to Nino, “What we’ve got going on takes priority. You still haven’t heard anything from Adrien, have you?”

Nino shook his head. Some of his homemade lo-fi tracks played as ‘focus’ music in the background. He found the steady beats calming as he nervously thought about the situation at hand. They’d been sitting in Alya’s room for a couple hours now, mapping out all the clues they had. The back of an old Geography poster project was covered in images, theories and red string. Nino wasn’t even surprised when Alya presented him with all the necessary materials to make a link analysis board. 

Facts about Adrien littered the board, with Gabriel Agreste in the center. There were pictures for the Gabriel Agreste fashion brand, Adrien, Nathalie and the Gorilla all surrounding the central idea. An index card with _Allergic Reaction????_ was posted off to the side, having been circled by a red pen multiple times. 

The duo had tried to track down who Adrien could be staying with, but there were no other connections. Gabriel didn’t seem to have any family other than his son. That left Adrien’s mother’s side of the family. Unfortunately without a maiden name, no progress was made. It harshly struck Nino that he didn’t know very much about his best bro. What kind of friend was he?

“Have you heard anything back from the Ladyblog?” He turned to look at his girlfriend.

She pulled out her phone and scrolled through the recent posts on the blog. He leaned over to look over her shoulder. There were a lot of shocked comments about how Rena Rogue and Carapace contacted Alya in the first place. A few conspiracy theorists posted about how the part-time heroes were going to try and petition to have access to their miraculouses full time. Nothing appeared out of the ordinary or helpful. 

“Honestly, I’m not sure what I was expecting with this. It’s not like Ladybug is going to comment or reach out to me via her account. It would be way too easy to backtrack her like that. Maybe we just wait until the next akuma attack?”

“Maybe, but who knows when that’s going to be? We need LB and Chat’s help sooner rather than later.” Nino took his glasses off and rubbed his eyes. He replaced them on his face and turned to look at the analysis board again. “Dude...where are you?”

“Don’t worry, we’ll find him. Maybe a break would be good for us right now. Help us clear our min-” 

A loud vibration sound cut her off and both looked down to Nino’s phone buzzing on the floor. He picked it up and was surprised to see a text from Marinette. _I know you’re with Alya. I need you two over at my house. Stat. Please._

“Uh...Al…” he turned the screen towards her so she could read the message. Concern overtook her face. 

_Bzzzz_

Nino turned the phone back so he could see the new notification. Marinette hadn’t even given him the chance to reply. _I’m calling in my IOU. You can’t deny me this, Nino._

“Oh shit, she’s using the IOU from the science test. Maybe she really needs our help, babe” he looked up to his girlfriend who was apparently five steps ahead of him. She was collecting some of the office supplies and putting it away. She flipped the poster so the ‘Agreste’ side was hidden against the wall.

“Looks like Marinette is providing us with that brain break. Something’s up and I’m going to go check on her. You can stay here and keep working-”

“No,” he grabbed her shoulder so he could look her in the eye for a moment. “We go together. Marinette and Adrien both need us, so we’ll help both of them.” She nodded back at him. Then he chuckled. “Geez, this ‘friend’ business is a lot more than I signed up for.”

“That’s because you’re a superhero in and out of the costume, turtle boy. You’re an overachiever as much as you may try to hide it.” She stuffed some papers into her backpack and zipped it closed. Nino opened her door and bowed as she passed him. She snorted at the overly chivalrous gesture. 

“Hey, Nino and I are going over to Marinette’s. She needs our help with something. I think it’s urgent. Or, urgent for her.”

Mrs. Cesaire didn’t look up from the stove, where she had a million things cooking. “O-okay. You’d better be hungry for leftovers when you get home though!” A pot started boiling over and she rushed to turn down the heat. The two teenagers took the distraction to slip out the front door before getting lectured for missing dinner. 

They walked hand in hand to the bus and enjoyed the decent weather. But Nino couldn’t shrug off the terrible feeling that had been following him around all day. There was still no contact from Adrien. As much as he’d like to believe his best friend was hanging out with family, deep down he knew it was too simple to be true. Maybe he’d been spending too much time around Alya, but he was determined to get to the bottom of this mystery. Adrien had almost no friends before he met Nino and when they’d met, he’d vowed to be the best example of a friend. 

Letting sunshine boy go missing was not setting a good example.

The bus screeched to a halt at the station right as the teens were approaching it. They were the last to jump on and bought single-use tickets from the driver. The bus was overcrowded and noisy, so there were no available seats. Alya gently shoved a few tourists out of the way and found an open space next to a window. She and Nino reached up to grab the hanging handles but also leaned on each other for added stability. 

Once settled in, Nino felt his girlfriend’s eyes on him, but was too focused in his own mind to look. Not one to be ignored, Alya squeezed his hand to get his attention. “Stop _worrying_ so much, Nino. We’ve got tricks up our sleeve. Everything is going to work out.”

“I’m not worrying.” Faux-Macho was his default setting in situations like this, but his girlfriend saw right through him.

“Yeah, uh-huh. Sure. So your little face-scrunch means everything is totally fine.”

“What face-scrunch? I don’t scrunch.”

She grabbed his face and squished his cheeks together. All he could do was stand there as she humiliated him in front of a bus load of strangers. “You’re adorable when you’re in denial.”

 _Oh_ , she was going to be the _death_ of him. He frantically pushed her hands off him in a failed attempt to save face. She just giggled and went back to holding his hand. When she wasn’t looking though, he smiled at her. He took notice of the microscopic dimples she had when suppressing a loud bout of laughter. He studied every curve of her face and admired her hair as it bounced with the movements of the bus. 

At that moment, he fell in love with her. Again. 

There was no denying he already loved Alya Cesaire. He just hadn’t said it out loud yet. She was the first person he’d felt this way about. But now, as she rushed to the aid of her friend, he found himself falling again. _Was that even possible_?

She turned to look at him and caught him staring. “Take a picture, it’ll last longer.” She mockingly scolded him.

“No picture can fully capture your beauty.” The words had just fallen out of his mouth and his eyes widened out of shock from the sentence he just spoke. He’d never, _ever_ been able to spew romantic lines, despite how hard he tried. So where had that come from?? 

But it was true.

Alya laughed in disbelief and looked at him like he’d been possessed by some hopelessly romantic ghost. But then the bus came to a sudden halt at their stop and Nino tumbled into his girlfriend, almost knocking them both to the ground. She steadied him before replying. “So, _so_ close to playing it off. My sweet, sweet boy.” And then she walked off the bus. Nino begrudgingly followed.

Why did she taunt him so? 

************

Marinette’s parents welcomed them into their home as they always did, offering a few snacks before telling them to head up to Marinette’s bedroom. The bakery wasn’t yet closed and a few residual customers roamed in and out. The duo thanked them and found their way up the many steps to the house portion where Marinette’s bedroom was. 

Alya was first up the ladder and knocked loudly on the trapdoor to Marinette’s room. She pushed it open before waiting for an answer. “Hey Mari! I--” She stopped mid sentence. 

Nino saw his girlfriend freeze and literally watched her pupils dilate. Clearly, something was wrong with that kind of reaction. He almost knocked her over but managed to climb up into the room. The scene in front of him filled the abyss that had grown in his gut over the course of the day. Almost all the anxiety, fear, worry and stress that burdened him since the night before was washed away with one look at him.

“ _Adrien!”_ Nino would’ve winced at the volume of his voice had he not been so absorbed in the moment. There he was, Mr. Sunshine himself, wrapped around Marinette. His head was tucked into her shoulder and he held her tightly, as if he never planned on letting her go. 

But as soon as he saw Nino, the blonde shot to his feet, startling the girl in his lap. 

“Nino, I am so sorr-” He was cut off by his best friend’s body slamming into him.

Nino was sure it was a bro-hug to go down in history. He squeezed the breath out of his best friend and then promptly let him go. “Don’t you _ever_ do something like that to us again, okay? Not cool. Never cool, bro. But _Jesus_ , it’s good to see you.”

Adrien didn’t have time to respond before Alya ran over and tackled him. This time, he was actually knocked over and thumped unceremoniously against the chaise. Alya held on for an extended period of time, using all her strength to encase him in a bear hug. Nino had been on the receiving end of those on multiple occasions. Although it was impossible to breathe in the midst of that, Nino had to admit he was a bit jealous. They were the best kind of hugs.

She finally let up and sat down on the ground, across from Marinette. The designer just smiled warmly at the scene unfolding before her, but then Nino saw her face switch to a more serious mode. There was more to the story. A very serious story judging by the cloud of gloom that hung over his two friends. Nino sat down next to Alya and reached out for her hand. Adrien adjusted the glasses on his face so they sat back on his nose. _Since when had he needed glasses?_ He slid off the chaise and immediately returned to his Marinette-enveloping position. _And what was going on with that?_

His girlfriend beat him to the questions. “First off, where the _hell_ were you?? You had us worried sick! We knew something was up and that thing about your family was a load of bull. If you’re here, then that means we were right. You’re going to tell us everything, right now. Including what _this,”_ she gestured to the pair in front of her, “is all about.”

Marinette opened her mouth to say something but Adrien spoke first. “My father is Hawkmoth so I ran away. And I love Marinette. I always have.” 

Uh-

_Oh???_

Wha-

_How-?_

Nino felt like he’d been sucker-punched but he could’ve sworn he heard a pin hit the floor. The air was sucked out of his lungs as he stared at the blonde, who had gone back to nuzzling Marinette’s hair like nothing had happened.

“W-w-wha-” Nino could even formulate a solid thought, much less a verbal response.

“I’m _sorry??”_ Alya was faring a little better, but not by much. 

What seemed most concerning was Adrien’s lack of discrepancy concerning the topics. He hadn’t even blinked when he’d dropped the bomb about his own _father_ being _Hawkmoth_ , like it was something he’d known all along. _Had he known all along?_ Nino’s eyes went wide. _Was Adrien a co-conspirator with Hawkmoth??_ No...he couldn’t have been. Surely he’d learned his identity and ran away. But...what if he was helping him all this time and only decided to run away now because of an argument? Honestly, it would explain why the blonde was always mysteriously absent during akuma attacks...

No. Nino wasn’t going to think like that. Adrien was his bro. His _best_ bro. Although he might not know all the Agreste secrets, he knew that Adrien was a good person. He’d never do anything to hurt the people of Paris. The fact about his father came as a shock. But, after digesting it all it...it kinda made sense. 

Now for the other thing.

Adrien _loved_ Marinette? Since when? How? Why the sudden realization and the sudden excess of PDA? Why was Adrien hidden away at the Dupain-Chengs, anyway? Wouldn’t his first choice have been Nino as a safe place? The teen was slightly hurt by the idea that Adrien had trusted Marinette more, but he quickly pushed that away too. He trusted Adrien and knew he had a reason for doing all of this. 

But there were still so many questions. 

Alya tried to voice her confusion again but was stopped by the girl in front of her. “I know it’s a lot, believe me. And Adrien’s lack of sensitivity while delivering the news probably didn’t help.” She sent a slightly judgemental but mainly concerned look to the blonde on her shoulder. “But the fact of the matter is that it happened. Tonight, Adrien needs us, his friends."

“But, girl, are you guys even safe here? Shouldn’t we be at a top-secret location where Hawk- M. Agreste would never think to look?”

An awkward glance was shared between Marinette and Adrien. _That_ was suspicious. 

“Well, I uhh….f-from what Adrien told me, he already contacted Ladybug. Her and Chat Noir are uhh... actually patrolling the area right now! Not close enough to give away our location, but close enough to act if something happens. They um, they suggested he just hang with his friends tonight. For-for his own well being.” Although she sounded strangely unsure of what she was saying, the last portion was accompanied by a sad smile. 

Nino looked Adrien over again. Physically, he appeared to be fine (which, in Gabriel Agreste’s case was good. Nino was already going to beat the shit out of the grumpy, old man. But if he had laid a _single finger_ on Adrien’s golden head, there would be endless Hell to pay). But mentally? It wasn’t hard to see that the blonde was having issues coping. His reactions to the conversation happening around him were almost non-existent. He was way more caught up in...smelling(?) Marinette’s hair than actually listening to what was being said around him. Adrien’s nervous tick was usually rubbing the back of his neck, but now it seemed his anxiety was focused on the glasses over his eyes. He kept awkwardly reaching up and unnecessarily adjusting them with a strangely amused look on his face.

Was this some sort of state of denial?

Maybe less denial, and more ignoring the fact that his only remaining immediate family member was the super villain that had been traumatizing Paris for a year. Nino noticed how Adrien had a death grip on Marinette, too. He didn’t think Ladybug herself would be able to separate the two of them. The girl in his lap didn’t seem uncomfortable, though. It was quite the opposite actually. All signs of the fumbling, panicked, stuttering mess she used to be were gone. Marinette was relaxed in Adrien’s embrace, as if they’d been an item for months. 

Curiouser and curiouser. 

“Can you, uh...talk about what’s going on between you two, dude? I mean, more than ‘I love Marinette'? Tbh I’m a little lost on how you got from point A to point B.”

Marinette went from being in control of the conversion to blushing furiously. She tensed up and looked at the ground. That was _almost_ enough to convince Nino that things were as they used to be. Marinette becoming a mess in Adrien’s presence? That was normal. That was familiar. 

But then she looked back up at the blonde and smiled proudly. Adrien returned the gentle expression. They stared at each other for an awkwardly long time, but Nino knew what was happening. He and Alya were able to have silent conversations sometimes by just looking at each other. But it had taken them _months_ to get to that point. Here, Marinette and Adrien were doing it the same day they decided to date (or, whatever the hell was going on here). 

A piece of the puzzle was missing.

Finally, Marinette looked back at the other two. “It’s still new, honestly. We were just talking about it when you guys arrived. I’ve lo-” she hesitated but then continued, turning her attention to Adrien again as she spoke. “I’ve loved Adrien for a while now. Once Ladybug and Chat Noir dropped him off here, the secret kinda spilled out.”

Adrien continued the story without missing a beat, like a perfect fade out/fade in between songs. “I realized that I always saw her as more than just a friend. She’s...she’s my everything. I’m blind for not seeing it earlier.” He adjusted his glasses as a nonverbal pun. “And it’s just like I said. I love Marinette Dupain-Cheng. I always have.”

Nino could feel an energy increase from beside him and he knew Alya was on the verge of going nuclear. He could hardly blame her. This was their real life OTP. He looked over and saw fresh tears spilling out of Alya’s eyes, etching trails as they rolled to her chin. She opened her arms towards the two. “Can I? You guys have been my match-making dream for, like, ever now.”

The redhead didn’t wait for a response before once again tackling her victims in another absolute bear hug. After a single second, Nino got up and joined. His arms were the outermost portion of the embrace, hugging everyone into a tight ball. Marinette was the core. And it felt right. It felt so, so right. 

The four of them stayed like that until it became uncomfortable. They separated and all returned to their previous positions, sitting in silence. The tension slowly creeped back until it became too thick to cut with a knife. Nino doubted even his super-powered shield would have made a dent.

Finally, he decided to speak up to keep the conversation going. Hadn’t Marinette said something about keeping Adrien’s mind off the terrible reality? “Well, I uh...I guess we can fill you in on the gossip you missed at school?” 

Wow. Really? That’s the best he came up with?

But Adrien cocked his head out of interest. Maybe he really did need a night to just hang out with his best buds and act like a teenager. Alya sent her boyfriend a look of bewilderment. No words need accompany it for him to understand what she was saying: _Are you really going to talk about school gossip with everything else going on?_ But he used his eyes to plead with her. Whatever was going on was outside of their control - for now. But school gossip? They could talk about school gossip. 

“Uh...yeah. Apparently Mme. Bustier and Mme. Mendeleiev have had some kind of bet going on with each other. We don’t know exactly what the stakes are, but it’s something about which class gets higher marks from their students.”

“What? Really??” Now he had the blonde’s full attention. 

“Yeah! I can see Mme. Mendeleiev doing something like that...but Mms. Bustier? I thought she was above childish bets.” 

Adrien chuckled and a remnant of the sunshine he was usually so full of flashed through his eyes. Nino’s plan was working. Alya must’ve noticed too because she chimed in, despite her unvoiced questions. 

“Oh, geez. Speaking of bets, Kim made a bet with _Chloe_ of all people. I think he was actually mad at her and this is his way of getting back.” Nino heard the certain intonation in his girlfriend’s voice. She purposely left her statement open-ended to create curiosity and suspense. It worked. 

“What did she do?” Adrien asked, completely entranced by the idea of it. 

“Apparently she was bad-mouthing Ondine and Kim stood up for her. Actually, it was kind of chivalrous of him. Ya know, defending her honor and whatnot.” Alya reached over and squeezed Nino’s hand.

Marinette spoke up from inside Adrien’s embrace. “Aww. I’d never expect Kim to do something like that. I mean, he’s got a backbone of steel, but I feel like most of that ‘chivalry’ stuff probably goes over his head.”

“Maybe, maybe not. I’ve heard him talk about his dates before. They seem pretty nice. He might be a huge romantic after all and Ondine just brings it out in him.” Adrien hugged Marinette a little as he spoke. 

Nino looked at Alya with an ‘ _I_ _still can’t believe this shit’_ expression. She caught his gaze with a forced smile. He had to stifle a laugh. Alya had been dedicated to ‘Operation: Adrienette’ (as she called it) for months. Now that it had finally happened, the only explanation she received was ‘I love him/her’. Needless to say, it was not satisfactory. But _damn_ , Nino enjoyed watching Alya suffer silently. 

“Nino, tell them what the stakes of the bet were.” Her voice was _soo_ strained. Marinette and Adrien didn’t seem to notice, but Nino was thoroughly enjoying his girlfriend's discomfort. Was this payback for the public humiliation she put him through earlier on the bus? Karma’s a bitch. 

But she set him up and played along. The non-stressful school gossip conversation seemed to be exactly what the blonde wanted to hear. They talked for a while about the newest bet and all of the old ones that had taken place over the years. Slowly, the conversation moved to venting about schoolwork, tests and teachers. 

Nino asked about Adrien’s new glasses and only received an extremely anxious “HAHA! I’ve always worn contacts! Haha! Always! All the time! I just did a good job of hiding the little uh...squishy(?) things on my eyes?” He accompanied his terrible excuse with a chuckle and a not-so-innocent smile. 

Ok. Add that to the list of things that didn’t make sense. 

But despite the enormous herd of elephants in the room, Nino had to admit he was grateful for the chance to be a normal kid for a while. There were no super villains, no part-time hero work, no missing friends or crazy mysteries to solve. All of that would be waiting for him later. But for now, it was nice to act like he had less responsibilities. 

Of course, all good things must end. 

Marinette was in the middle of the (hilarious) story of how she broke almost every beaker in their science class a couple years ago when a massive crashing sound echoed from outside. Car alarms started blaring and people on the street began screaming. A single voice cut above the noise, wailing ‘ _ADRIEN!’_ in the most mournfully terrifying voice Nino had ever heard. The four looked at each other as a blanket of apprehension covered the room, threatening to suffocate them one by one. 

An akuma. Which meant Hawkmoth. Which meant M. Agreste was looking for his son. Which meant Adrien wasn’t safe. 

Marinette stood up suddenly. “I-I need to check on my parents. I’ll be right back. Stay here, please.” As terrible of an idea as it was, she slipped out of the room before anyone could stop her. 

Nino shifted over and placed his hand on Adrien’s shoulder. Surprisingly, he didn’t seem terrified beyond all belief. Sure, he was still dissociating a little but he also looked determined. As if he was personally planning on delivering a beat-down to his old man. That was the Adrien he knew (well, not the beat-down part. Adrien was more of a pacifist. But the determination? _That_ was in character). 

Nino was trying to think of something reassuring to say when the door above Marinette’s bed opened.

“Ladybug??” Alya stood to attention now, in the presence of her idol. 

“Hey guys, thanks for coming over tonight. I’ve got to move Adrien to a more secure location. The akuma is looking for him specifically. Stay here for the time being," she winked aggressively to display an extra meaning in her words, "so I know where you are and that you’re safe.” As she spoke, she moved down the ladder towards the large window in Marinette’s bedroom. She extended her hand towards the blonde. He stood and accepted it. 

Nino grabbed his other hand before he was able to get very far. “Dude, stay safe. Please. I’m still not sure what all is going on, but I do know one thing: I care about you. We all do. And we need you, okay? So after this akuma is gone, do whatever you need to be safe. But, you’re always welcome at my house if you need it.”

“And mine.” Alya chimed in. Adrien’s eyes softened and Nino could’ve sworn he was about to cry. He released Ladybug’s hand and rushed forward to pull the couple into one last hug. 

“I don’t know what I did to deserve you all, but thank you. Thank you so, so much. I-I’ll see you guys soon.” He reached out again for Ladybug’s hand as she pushed the large circular window open. 

“Yeah, see you guys soon,” the heroine sent another wink (that looked more like an eye spasm) to Nino and Alya before she picked up Adrien and zipped out of the window into the fading sunlight. Although cryptic and not very smooth, the message was clear.

Rena Rogue and Carapace were going to have that chat with Ladybug after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter literally took me two weeks to write. It's by far one of the most difficult of the story thus far. That being said, I really enjoy this chapter. I love DJWifi (is that still their ship name?) and they for sure need more cannon content. 
> 
> Also, I finally made a tumblr dedicated to my fanfics and writings, though it has absolutely no content on it atm. Come find me @ constantconfusion14.tumblr.com
> 
> As always, thank you so much for reading!


	15. Seeker

The city was already in chaos. Multiple car accidents had resulted from the flying akuma zipping through the streets. They must’ve had some kind of telekinetic abilities(?) judging on how they threw vehicles around and ripped parts of buildings clean off. Poor Parisians and tourists who’d been out for a late dinner were now running around in a panic. Great. Marinette had pulled Adrien’s hood over his head again for a little cover as she swung him to an empty rooftop. Thankfully, no one had noticed them yet. 

She touched down and released her arm from the blonde’s waist. He pulled his hood back slightly so his face popped out a little, but not enough for it to fully fall from his head. Adrien closed his eyes for a second, seemingly about to transform, but then briefly opened them again. He reached up and removed the glasses from his face. Immediately, his posture became slightly more defensive and less confident. He squinted his now-bare eyes and held the glasses out to Ladybug. 

“Here, could you put these in your yo-yo? I don’t want to be wearing two miraculous.” She nodded and took the glasses into her possession, quickly slipping them into her bottomless yo-yo pocket. Only then was Adrien replaced by Chat Noir. He straightened his shoulders after his transformation and blinked a couple times. 

“Huh. Perfect vision. Good thing cats have such good eyesight. Now I can see what we’re up against.” He turned away and faced the waiting battle, observing closely. 

He wasn’t the only one watching for something. Marinette was watching her partner like a hawk for any signs that he should sit this one out. It had barely been a day since he’d run away from his father. Fighting him (albeit indirectly) could potentially be a horrible idea. Surprisingly though, he seemed collected. Much more so than he’d been all day. Ladybug watched his back rise and fall as he breathed deeply and steadily. His composure was structured and strong, not at all what she expected from someone who’s world had fallen apart mere hours ago. 

He turned back and looked at her through slightly narrowed eyes. “Care to join me here, bug?” His voice was cheeky, but still held a deeper layer of anger. Not at her, but at their enemy. 

So that’s what the catch was. He’d traded sadness for anger. Ladybug forced a gentle smile and walked over to her partner. “You know, Chat, I can go get Rena Rogue and Carapace. You don’t have to put yourself through this tonight. You’ve got enough going on.”

Her suggestion didn’t phase him at all. He shook his head immediately. “Thanks, my lady, but I’m not sitting this one out. Or any other fight for that matter. It’s personal now. Hawkmoth needs to know he’s gone too far.”

A sudden  _ smash _ made Ladybug wince and she watched the entire side of the building across from them crumble to the street below. As a result, multiple apartments were open to danger and the residents stood dumbfounded at the unexpected absence of their walls. The akuma simply floated down the streets, continuing to scream Adrien’s name. Every building he floated by cracked open, revealing it's residence to him. Ladybug looked closer and realized he was holding some kind of object. Every time he moved it with a flick of his wrist, a building fell into chaos. 

That had to have been the akumatized object. Maybe. Hopefully. 

The roof they stood on suddenly began to sway and cracks could be heard in the stone. Chat’s voice switched from dark to slightly panicked. “ _ Buuut  _ you might want to get Rena and Carapace for this one anyway. I’ll cover for you.” Before Marinette could react, he vaulted himself off the building, in front of the akuma. She watched to make sure he landed safely before throwing her yo-yo in the opposite direction. The sound of Chat taunting the villain faded into the background as Ladybug zipped back towards her own bedroom. 

Luckily, Master Fu had given her his bracelet and the fox necklace before she left his parlor. He’d decided it would be best for the two back-up heroes to hold on to their miraculous until the debacle was over. Besides, if Adrien happened to be with either of them when a dangerous situation arose, they’d transform and protect him. Although she felt horrible saying it, having Rena Rogue or Carapace’s identity revealed to Hawkmoth was a smaller risk than Ladybug’s or Chat Noir’s. 

Within minutes, she found the familiar circular window and flew back into her own room. Alya and Nino were standing right where she’d left them, deep in discussion. At the sound of the recoiling yo-yo, however, they both stopped and looked up at the heroine. “Aha, I knew it!” Alya pumped her fist in the air a little bit

Ladybug pulled their respective jewels out and offered them to her friends. “Transform, quickly. Chat Noir’s holding them off, but this akuma seems stronger than most.” Nino reached for the bracelet and easily slipped it over his wrist. Before Marinette had the chance to blink, Carapace stood in front of her. Alya followed closely behind. 

“Thank you, LB, for letting us join this fight. Adrien’s our guy and we want to do everything in our power to help defeat him.” 

“As much as that can help us fight harder, a personal connection can also make us irrational. I know the danger Hawkmoth has put Adrien in, believe me. But, remember that this akuma is just an innocent person being manipulated. We’re going to save them today and take down Hawkmoth another day. Can I count on you two?”

Neither looked happy, but both nodded solemnly. If nothing else, Ladybug was logical. “Ok, then. Follow me.” And back out to the streets she flew. Marinette followed an identical path to the roof where she’d left Chat. Although the fight had since moved a couple blocks, it was easy to follow the mournful cry of the akuma. Whoever the victim was, they desperately wanted the blonde back. 

Finally, Ladybug found the source of the cries. He was floating about 10 feet in the air, dodging Chat’s constant attacks. She was able to see him better now, dressed in an all white, fitted costume with a half cape that hung from his waist. Scattered across the white fabric were small icons of...eyes? His brunette hair hung about his head in disorder and a thick pair of goggles sat over his eyes, making them bulge out unnaturally to any onlookers. 

Ladybug swung into battle just in time to scoop her partner out of the way of a collapsing building. The maneuver was not nearly as smooth as she’d intended it to be and the two rolled a good distance before ending sprawled across the sidewalk, tangled up with each other. Rena Rogue and Carapace landed gracefully beside them, offering their hands to the duo on the ground.

“Thanks for the save, my lady” Chat coughed out some dust he'd accidentally inhaled. 

“Anytime. Did you figure out what this guy’s deal was?”

He didn’t have a chance to respond before the akuma focused back on the heroes. Or, his  _ costume _ focused on them. “You can’t hide from me!” he cried as all of the eyes on the fabric shifted around until they found Ladybug and Chat Noir sitting on the ground. Marinette thought she was going to be sick.  _ That _ was horrifying. 

“You!” He whirled around until he was facing them on his own and pointed an outrageously large magnifying glass at the quartet. “I can sense Adrien’s presence on all of you. Tell me where he is!” The words had barely reached Marinette’s ears before more debris began raining down on them. 

“Shelt-” she heard Carapace start saying before she tugged his arm harshly, effectively cutting him off. The two of them weaved their way through the sky as it fell down upon them. Chat and Rena ran on all fours, keeping a close distance to the two on their feet. A large chunk of marble slammed into the ground directly in front of Ladybug and she whipped around suddenly, only to be cut off from the other direction.

There was a split second to react before the rest of the building completely squashed all the heroes. Luckily, the two behind her didn’t know how to use their own breaks. Rena Rogue and Chat all but tackled their counterparts and sent the four of them flying through the only remaining opening. 

They rolled to a stop in an alley, the street opening almost entirely blocked by rubble. Ladybug’s head spun for a few seconds and she blinked rapidly to focus her eyesight. Once she could see clearly, she surveyed their surroundings. There was a large opening above them, but the buildings on either side had slid together, creating a cramped space on the ground. Household objects, clothes and shrapnel from the apartment around them littered the floor. Ladybug did a quick inspection on her partners. All of their vibrantly colored costumes were much duller, thanks to the silt and dust caked on their bodies. Rena and Carapace were coughing but Chat just looked pissed off. 

“How the hell were we supposed to tell him where Adrien is if he didn’t even give us a chance to speak?” He pushed himself to his feet and started looking for an opening in the collapsed stone and brick to view the street. He wasn’t successful and eventually came back to the others, crouching down to a lower level. 

“I just don’t get this guy’s motive. He seems so sad that he can’t find Adrien, but at the same time he’s raging like crazy.” Rena was dusting herself off as she spoke, but her efforts made no difference in her appearance.

“Whatever he’s up to, I am not a fan of those creepy eyes on his costume. Did you see them move??” Carapace looked at Ladybug, clearly distraught at the nightmarish scene. The spotted heroine placed a clenched fist at the bottom of her face, holding her chin in thought. 

“Chat, did you find anything out about him when you were fighting earlier?” She pulled her eyes up to the black-clad hero, quickly looking him over for injuries. He seemed to be okay, thankfully.

“I’m pretty sure that magnifying glass in his hand contains the akuma. This guy is clearly a fan of Adrien. I might even go as far to say his  _ number one _ fan.” He sent a pointed look at Ladybug. Chat knew exactly who the akumatized person was. “I heard a snippet of the news too, when Nadja was nearby. Apparently Adrien’s been officially reported as missing by his father.” He nodded his head backwards towards the street, gesturing to the akuma victim. “Poor kid probably didn’t take it very well.”

“ADRIEN!” The mournful cries continued, echoing disturbingly through the now empty street. “I know you have him, Ladybug! I sense he’s near you! I am the Seeker! You won’t be able to keep me from him for long!”

Rena’s fox ears flattened against her head. Her voice had dropped to a whisper. “What exactly does he mean when he says he can “sense” him?”

Ladybug furrowed her eyebrows, asking herself the same question. If this ‘Seeker” was able to sense Adrien, did he know he was Chat? Or did he just think Adrien had been with Chat? She didn’t have the answers to her questions. 

“I don’t know. But I think we’re going to need a little help.” She tossed her yo-yo into the air, shouting “Lucky Charm!” and eliciting a spiral of Ladybug energy. When the magic subsided, a small, square bottle dropped into her hands. She looked it over and pushed the tiny trigger on the top. “Cologne?”

Chat Noir and Rena Rogue, having heightened senses of smell, almost instantly withdrew from the cloud of scented alcohol in the air. Rena tried to speak through her coughs. “It-it smells familiar, though.”

In response, Carapace and Ladybug took deep inhales of the scent still hovering in front of them. Rena was right. It did smell familiar, but why? Marinette thought deeply, placing the exact location where she got hit with this scent. It was always at school, always when she rushed in late. Someone in the class must’ve been wearing it. But the only person she passed right next to was…of course! The realization hit both her and Nino at the same time. They spoke in perfect unison, looking at each other as they did so. “It smells like Adrien!”

Across from them, Chat Noir raised an eyebrow. “You guys know what he smells like?”

“Of course, dude! I sit next...to…uhhh....” Carapace suddenly stopped, trying to figure out a way to explain himself without revealing his identity. He furrowed his brows in thought and never actually finished his sentence. Chat just looked down at him, smirking. 

All the while, Ladybug was lost in her own thoughts. It wasn’t a coincidence her Lucky Charm gave her Adrien’s cologne. She looked around her for anything that might’ve been useful. To her delight, she found exactly what she needed. Ladybug pushed herself off the ground and walked over to a white jacket, a pair of jeans and a blue snapback cap on the ground. She brushed them off a little before presenting them to the group. 

“If Adrien is who Seeker wants, then Adrien is who Seeker’s gonna get!"

The three stared at her, incredulously. Rena spoke up first. “You’re not seriously going to put Adrien in the line of fire, are you?”   


Ladybug smirked and walked over to Chat, throwing her arm over his shoulder. “No. But, luckily we have our own blonde. And he knows how much I love to play dress-up.”

**************

A few minutes later, Ladybug stood on a rooftop with Chat and Carapace. Chat had (painstakingly) gotten the jeans on over his boots and pulled them up over his waist, using his black leather belt to secure them tightly (they were much too large for his small frame). Once he was set, Ladybug gestured for him to turn around which he did so, begrudgingly. She slipped the jacket over his shoulders and then spun him back to face her. She ruffled his hair, attempting to part it in the familiar fashion, but to her surprise, it remained exactly how it was. She grunted and tried again.   


“My lady, it’s no use. I’m an alley cat. You can’t just go around styling my hair. It’s fated to be messy.” She tried one more time, but it still refused to cooperate. 

“Fine. Guess we’ll have to hope Seeker’s not overly observant.” She plopped the blue cap on his head, taking care to tuck his black cat ears inside. As a final touch, she pulled out the cologne. “Cover your nose.” She pulled off the top of the bottle and dumped its entire contents on her partner. Even without a heightened sense of smell, the fragrance was overwhelming. 

Chat did not look pleased at all. “I used to be a fan of this scent, but not anymore.”

Carapace stepped up and patted his shoulder, but he was clearly wincing as well. “If it’s any consolation, I think you smell great.”

Chat scoffed. “Thanks.”

Ladybug smiled again, happy to see Adrien enjoying Nino’s company. Master Fu had been right about him needing some time with friends. It really seemed to be helping, despite the daunting task at hand. “Ok. You boys know the plan? I gotta go help Rena. Be alert, the akuma should be headed over here shortly. 

They nodded silently in response and Ladybug took her leave, throwing her yo-yo to a nearby chimney. She tugged gently and felt herself go weightless, soaring over the ruined city. News stations huddled in alley ways, desperately trying to get coverage while also trying to stay out of the heroes’ way. Ladybug smiled at Nadja before joining Rena and her illusion against Seeker. 

Rena was throwing weak attacks at the akuma with her flute while the fake Chat Noir she’d created ran around them, doing an excellent job of being a distraction. Ladybug landed on a billboard with Adrien’s face plastered on it, advertising his father’s clothing line. She waved her hands in the air and yelled towards the fight. 

“Seeker! Please stop! This is too much damage! I’ll take you to Adrien, as long as you promise not to hurt him!” She poured as much fake desperation into her voice as she could, trying to make the act convincing. 

“No, Ladybug! You can’t!” Rena Rouge yelled from across the battlefield, doing a terrible job of hiding her smirk. Her illusion-Chat mimicked her words in unison, but Seeker didn’t seem to notice it as odd. The eyes scattered over his body rolled around, obviously looking for someone. It was highly disturbing.

A glowing butterfly mask appeared over his eyes and he tilted his head, as if he were listening.

Stupid Hawkmoth must’ve been speaking to him. Ladybug grumbled at the thought that Adrien’s father was watching another poor teenager completely destroy Paris, searching for his only son. Gabriel Agreste had once been her idol, but now he utterly disgusted her. Marinette found herself almost snarling before she quickly covered up and put her ‘sad face’ back on. 

The mask disappeared and Seeker floated up to her, squinting his eyes. “I swear, Ladybug, if you trick me, this entire city will crumble.”

She held up her hands, innocently. “I promise, no gimmicks. I just want peace for the city. Follow me.” Ladybug made eye contact with Rena who winked back at her. She’d be following the spotted heroine the entire way, ready to pounce if Seeker tried to attack Ladybug from behind.

Marinette took a split second to calm her nerves before turning her back on her enemy and zipping her way back to where she’d left the other half of her team. The closer they got, the faster he moved until he eventually overtook her, knowing the way without her having to lead. His costume continued looking around, but mainly seemed focused on a single blonde sitting on a rooftop a few roads over. 

Seeker took off at an inhuman speed once his eyes had captured sight of his target. Ladybug barely had time to yell out “Adrien!” before Seeker arrived in front of him. She threw her yo-yo and pulled herself towards the scene, trying to get there before anything bad happened. 

Chat’s was facing away from them all and from a distance, Marinette fully believed she was looking at the real Adrien (which, okay, she  _ was _ ). Seeker fell hook, line and sinker for the second illusion and came to a sudden halt as soon as they reached the roof. Chat remained still, facing the other direction, not ready to give up the ploy just yet.

“ADRIEN!!!” Seeker bellowed in a high, fan-girling tone, and rushed forward. 

Ladybug arrived at the roof just in time to yell, “Now!” at Carapace. Nino ran out of hiding, tackling Chat out of the way and screaming out “Shellter!” as he did so. A green forcefield appeared before the duo just as Seeker was about to reach them. The akuma slammed against it forcefully, momentarily stunned by the collision. 

Having achieved his goal, Carapace dropped his shield, allowing for the next part of the plan. Chat Noir took full advantage of Seeker’s confusion and launched himself forward “Cataclysm!” He shouted as he grabbed Seeker’s magnifying glass from his hands. It instantly crumbled to ashes and the corrupted butterfly fluttered out of the remains.

Black and purple energy bubbled over the victim and a teenage boy dropped out of the sky, screaming. Rena Rogue appeared just in time to catch him before he hit the roof. She touched down gently and looked up to watch Ladybug purify the akuma. 

When the cleansed, white butterfly was released back into the sky, Ladybug jumped back down to her friends. Chat was knelt down, still dressed in his ridiculous cosplay, comforting the teen who was dressed eerily similar. This kid really  _ was _ Adrien’s biggest fan, wasn’t he?   


Marinette walked over to Carapace, who held out the tiny empty bottle of cologne to her. She smiled gratefully and then launched it into the air, yelling out “Miraculous Ladybug!” as she did so. A flurry of ladybugs appeared from the sky and flew around the broken city, repairing the damages caused by Seeker. 

As Ladybug watched the beauty of creation happen before her eyes, she was reminded of what Master Fu said earlier. Marinette closed her eyes and for the first time, focused on everything she wanted repaired. She thought of the alley way, the broken streets, every civilian’s home that had been torn apart by Hawkmoth. When she opened her eyes again, the Ladybugs were shooting off back into the sky, having completed the task they were summoned to do. 

“I don’t think I’ll ever get over that, dude” Carapace commented, still staring at the sky. Although Marinette agreed with him, part of her was anxious. What if she hadn’t focused hard enough? What if there were damages she hadn’t thought of? What if a bystander had been injured and she had no idea and her magic did nothing-

A clawed, black hand laid on her shoulder. Chat looked down at her as if he understood every thought running through her mind. “You did great, as always. It was an ingenious plan and it worked perfectly, my lady.” She smiled back at him. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to take Wayhem here back home.”

The boy in question looked up sheepishly at the heroes. “I-I’m sorry for all the trouble I caused, Ladybug. It’s just that, Adrien’s my friend. And he’s missing. I’m so worried about him, or what could’ve happened. I guess I let my emotions get a little out of control.” He looked at the ground, ashamed. 

Ladybug reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder, just as Chat had done for her mere seconds before. “Hey, don’t ever apologize for your feelings. You have every right to be worried. It’s Hawkmoth who should feel ashamed for preying on your emotions like that.  _ That’s _ wrong.” The brunette smiled at her, almost willing to believe the words. 

Marinette looked at Chat, sharing another silent conversation.  _ Meet up with us later _ . “I’ll send a location to your catphone. Meet us all there afterwards.” He nodded and then grabbed Wayhem and shot off the roof. Although initially caught off-guard, Ladybug could hear the latter whooping out of enjoyment as Chat deliberately recreated the drops and jumps of a roller coaster in an attempt to cheer his friend up. 

Once they disappeared into the dusky sky, Ladybug addressed the other two. Her earrings chimed frantically, followed closely by Rena’s. “Alright, follow me.” She received quizzical looks from both of them but rushed off regardless. She owed both of them explanations for everything that was going on. Not ‘friend’ explanations, but ‘Hero explanations.”

She sighed again. This was chalking up to be the longest day of her life. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Whispers* can you tell this chapter had to be cut in half, too? It's becoming a recurring problem lol. As I was writing this, realized the past five chapters have all happened on the same day, story-wise. That's a lot of content for only one day. And unfortunately, there's more to come. 
> 
> Poor kids just need some sleep. 
> 
> As always, thank you so much for reading!
> 
> Edit: Shoutout to walkingonthestars (or @hamsternamedmarinette on tumblr) for making fanart for this chapter! It's literal perfection and I cried when I first saw it: https://www.tumblr.com/dashboard/blog/hamsternamedmarinette/622857438296670208


	16. Rooftop Meetings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Massive shoutout to walkingonthestars (or @hamsternamedmarinette on tumblr) for making fanart for the last chapter! I edited my a/n for chapter 15 and added the link there, but I'm also adding it here to make sure everyone gets blessed by the pure beauty of the image. (*whispers* you should follow them, too!). 
> 
> Here's the link: https://www.tumblr.com/dashboard/blog/hamsternamedmarinette/622857438296670208

Ladybug's feet easily bounded across the Parisian rooftops until she landed on the roof of an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of the city. Months ago, her and Chat had done recon and designated a few secluded locations to use in extreme situations. This place had been number one on their list, but they hadn’t had a reason to utilize it. Not yet at least. 

Her hand held her flashing earrings protectively and she slipped behind a large vent just the familiar feeling of exhaustion washed over her. She chirped out a squeaky “Don’t come over here for a few seconds!” to make sure her friends didn’t find her. Sometimes that was the problem with being a leader: people followed her even when she didn’t want them to. 

Marinette slid her back down the metal, into a slumped sitting position. She took a few moments to catch her now-winded breath before opening her purse to get her emergency stash of snacks; Means of refuel in case of ‘emergencies’. 

Rena’s voice rang out as Marinette munched on an energy bar. “Don’t get me wrong, LB. I love spending time with you, but why did you bring us here? And where is here, anyway?”

The raven-haired girl responded, despite her mouth being full. Really, she didn’t care much anymore. “Uh ‘afe ‘ace.” She swallowed, realizing the error of her ways and tried again. “A safe place. You two wanted to talk, no?” Of course Marinette knew what Alya and Nino probably wanted to talk about and of course she knew that the issue had already been addressed (more or less). But, _Ladybug_ wasn't supposed to know what Marinette knew (ugh, this was too complicated). 

A final ring beeped out and Marinette heard the familiar sound of a transformation falling as orange light glowed from behind her. She called out to Alya, “Do you have any snacks on you?”

“Uh…” There was aggressive patting and Marinette envisioned her friend slapping herself down, checking all of her pockets. “Uh, no. I don’t have any food on me.”

Marinette looked down in her purse. She only carried two on her usually. One for herself, and one for Chat. She didn't feel comfortable giving out that last snack in the off chance that Hawkmoth attack again tonight and Chat needed a recharge. Marinette figured she should probably start packing more, especially with the situation becoming more dire. “Ah, ok. Well. We’ll deal with that in a few seconds.” She closed her eyes and pulled all her remaining strength to transform herself back into her alter-ego. Barely having time to digest her snack or recover from her exhaustion was not going to make this easy, but she needed Ladybug right now, more than she needed Marinette. 

The spotted heroine stepped around the vent to see her two friends sitting against the other side, one transformed and one not. She pulled out her bugphone and sent her location to Chat. Judging by where his icon was on the map, he’d be there shortly. 

“Alright, you two. What’s up?”

They looked like deer caught in the headlights. Was she coming off too strong? Too friendly? Did they think this was a lecture? Or was she acting too familiar with them?

“Uh…” Carapace wasn’t good with words.

“I saw on the Ladyblog that you guys needed to talk. What’s up?”

“Ohh...well,” Alya fiddled with the necklace around her neck. “Well, our friend, Adrien Agreste went MIA a few days ago. We were worried and the situation seemed fishy. We were hoping you’d be able to help us find him. But, we actually solved the riddle on our own, with a little help from our friend, Marinette.” She smiled up at the heroine. 

Ladybug stood with confidence, but internally she was frantic. This conversation had to take place in order to prevent Rena and Carapace thinking she’d forgotten about them. But at the same time, what was she supposed to say? _Oh, cool! We’re all good then! I’m glad you found your friend in a terrible situation! All is well!_

Should Ladybug confide that there was more to the story? Should she ask for their help defeating Hawkmoth? Should she use this time to devise a plan to take him down? Should she reveal her identity? Should she reveal Chat’s identity??

“Uhh…” was all she managed to get out. Great. Very heroic. Words to be remembered by. 

A thump behind her alerted her to Chat Noir’s presence on the roof. Alya panicked as soon as she saw him and made to bolt around to the other side of the vent she was seated against. Marinette reached out to calm her. 

“Hey, it’s okay. He, uh...He knows who you guys are.”

The black cat stalked up and offered his clawed hand to Alya. “The Ladyblogger, right? Honestly, it made sense. I put the pieces together after fighting with you for a while.” He smiled sheepishly, as if he were embarrassed. Alya, surprisingly, seemed to relax and accepted the handshake. 

“Yeah, my name’s Alya. It’s nice to meet you.”

“And you.” He turned his attention to Carapace. “Nino? Is it?” He put his hand out again, offering the same gesture to the turtle who still sat on the ground. Nino accepted the handshake but also used it as a means of pulling himself to his feet, next to his girlfriend. 

“Yeah, dude. But how did you know?”

“Uh…” Chat glanced at Ladybug, desperate for an out. She recognized the look. How was he supposed to explain how he’d figured out their identities without revealing his own? “Well, I do have the eyesight of a cat. I actually saw my lady present you with the miraculous on that first day. I just pretended not to see it.” Another embarrassed grin. Marinette rolled her eyes. He was a terrible liar. 

“Where have you been?” Alya brought out her reporter voice on full throttle. “I mean, this is the first time you’ve made a public appearance in like, a week and a half. Luckily, there weren’t many akumas but I definitely noticed Ladybug patrolling alone.” 

Chat’s head immediately dropped to the floor. “I had some...personal things to deal with. I’m sorry. I promise I’m never leaving Ladybug alone like that again.” His voice was as soft as a child’s security blanket and Alya realized it wasn’t worth pushing that subject any further. Silence dawned over them for a fragment of a second before Carapace’s bracelet beeped a warning, immediately followed by Chat’s. 

The noises shocked Ladybug back into hero mode. She needed a plan. Maybe not a complete one tonight, not on the deadline they currently had. But the structure of one. “Okay, time to cut to the chase. I know you guys spoke to Adrien earlier today. What all did he tell you?”

“Honestly, not much. He said his father was Hawkmoth and that he loved Marinette. That’s all. We’re both still pretty confused as to what’s going on.”

Ladybug scrunched her face, debating on how to go about this. Thankfully, Chat spoke up. “I don’t want to share any secrets that aren’t mine, but the Agrestes got into a pretty nasty fight. M. Agreste is Hawkmoth, his assistant is Mayura and-” he stopped for a second and took a deep breath. “There’s something about Mme. Agreste too. That’s why he’s after our miraculous, to use the powers of destruction and creation to bring her back.” He breathed out deeply, as if he had just been drowning and was finally able to come up for air. 

Ladybug took over for him. Honestly, she was shocked he’d shared that much, but she was proud nonetheless. “Needless to say, he can’t go home as long as his father is there.” She felt Chat tense up next to her at the mention of home. Talking about Adrien as if he weren’t there when he was, in fact, standing right next to her was not easy. 

Carapace wasted no time in responding. “He can stay with me. I’ll watch over him, make sure he’s safe. Nothing will happen to him. This is all so messed up. He deserves better than this.”

Ladybug reached out and put a hand on his shoulder. “That’s so kind of you to offer, but I need you too, right now. The four of us have some major ass-kicking to do and I need you two on my superhero team. Is that Marinette girl’s house a safe place for him for the time being?”

Alya and Nino looked at each other, and replied instantly. “Absolutely.” Ladybug’s heart warmed at the level of trust they put in her. Of course, Adrien was going to stay with her regardless. But, if Nino and Alya believed they’d had a say in it, it would put them both more at ease. 

“Ok. Then that’s the plan we’re going with at the moment.” She glanced at Chat, asking for his input. But he was in his own mind, again. He seemed alert and listening, but she knew he was somewhere else. She grabbed his hand and squeezed it gently. His head snapped up and his eyes focused on her. 

“We need to take him down.” There was no need to clarify who she was talking about. Adrien nodded solemnly, but hosted a look of pure determination in his eyes. 

“We need a plan,” he responded, his voice steady and cold. The akuma battle had been a fantastic distraction and it had done wonders for her partner. But it was a temporary fix. Now, he was forced to once again deal with the weight of the situation and it wasn’t going to be pretty. 

Alya and Nino seemed to feel the tension, but remained quiet, waiting for the heroes to say something. More chirps echoed from the drained miraculouses. The darkening sky sent the same message and Ladybug rubbed the exhaustion off her face, regaining her concentration. 

“Alright, I can't take much more for today. 4pm. Tomorrow night. Meet here. Bring some office supplies, or something. Maybe some snacks, and all the information you have on Gabriel Agreste.”

Carapace looked up at her, “What are we gonna do?”

Chat took the words right out of her mouth. “We’re going to make him regret underestimating us.”

**************

Nino and Alya waved the heroes goodbye from the sidewalk below. Calling them 'excited' that they were able to hold on to their miraculous was an understatement. Alya had screamed and thrown herself on Ladybug like a fangirl and Nino grew a wicked smile that might've been concerning had Marinette not known he was a good person. As they bid each other adieu, Chat’s ring beeped frantically and the two full-time heroes took off, in search of a place hidden from the public eye. They never made it to their agreed upon destination. As soon as they touched down on the nearest rooftop, Chat’s transformation fell and he stumbled a few steps before catching himself. 

“Whoo. That was a lot.” He bent over, resting his hands on his knees. Ladybug rushed over to him and pulled the black hoodie over his head, almost covering his entire face. He straightened up and pushed it back so it laid on the back of his head, almost slipping off. Irritated, Ladybug pulled it forward again, allowing just enough for him to see his surroundings. He pushed it back again, looking around with squinted eyes.

“Chaton, if someone sees you, we’re screwed.” She looked around nervously. 

“My lady, no one is up here. Our identities are safe.” 

“Not even our identities. I just meant, _you._ If _Adrien Agreste_ is seen anywhere…” she let her voice fade out, not needing to finish the sentence. The blonde in front of her pouted for a second before pulling the hood further over his face. 

“Fine, you’re right. Let’s get out of the public eye before something doesn’t go our way. But first,” he reached his hand out towards her, accidentally brushing part of her chest. Upon recognizing what he’d done, he pulled his hand back immediately. “I-I’m so sorry! I thought that was your shoulder! Ca-can I have the glasses, please? I am so, so sorry, my lady.”

Marinette’s face turned beet red. Adrien Agreste had just touched her _boob._ Albeit, accidentally. She was mortified and yet...not upset(?) at the same time. “Ah! It’s-it’s okay!” She pulled out her yo-yo and reached in, grabbing the horse miraculous. She offered it to Adrien who fumbled down her arm a little before eventually landing on the glasses. 

He took them from her gently and she noticed how red his cheeks had become as well. Adrien pushed the glasses against his eyes and blinked a couple times before fully focusing on her for the first time since de-transforming. He smiled, but it looked like he was in pain. “I’m really sorry about that, Marinette. I would never do something like that on purpose.”

And because it had been a stressful day, and Marinette was pretty sure she was losing it, and because she was a mess around Adrien’s sheer perfection and _because_ she had a boost of confidence whenever she was dressed in her superhero suit, Marinette blurted out the first thing that came to her mind. “You’re sure you’ll never do it again on purpose?” And because it wasn’t bad enough as that, she sent a weird, flirtatious look towards him.

Adrien froze. Marinette froze. 

Why was she like this?

“I mean-uh...We...we’d better go, to make sure no one sees us on this rooftop!” But even if no one saw them, they definitely would've heard her yelling that sentence much louder than she needed to. 

Adrien was still frozen in place, but nodded frantically, pulling the hood over his face again. At least he had some sort of way to hide his massive blush. Marinette had nothing to hide her embarrassing personality and terrible flirting decisions. 

She wrapped her arm around his back and pulled him close to her body. He tensed for a split second before wrapping his arms around her shoulder. She glanced at him to make sure she wasn’t hurting him or making him uncomfortable. 

He looked up when he noticed she was checking on him. “Sorry, I guess it’s just habit to blush when Ladybug touches me outside the suit - I MEAN” He physically winced and pulled up his hand to rub the back of his neck. “I, well, uh, th-the- the identity reveal is still registering, ya know?”

But of course, now Marinette was focusing on the fact that she was holding _The Adrien Agreste_ against her body. As normal as that was now, it was still, _so_ surreal. And his arm was across her chest and he was adjusting it slightly to not sit directly on her breasts, but it was awkward and not working out and _oh, sweet goodness_ now she was just staring at his face and that definitely wasn’t normal. And although they’d been wrapped in each other’s embrace earlier _that day_ , in a much more intimate position, this just brought back so many terribly awkward memories. 

She tried to play it cool, but the color of her face betrayed her completely. “Haha, yeah. It’s still registering for both of us…” She smiled uncomfortably before forcing her eyes away from his gorgeous ones, after staring into them for way too long. 

Adrien coughed in a terrible attempt to break the awkwardness, but at least it snapped Ladybug back to her senses. “Right. Sorry. Let’s get you to my bed. Er-my bed _room_ that is, haha! Let’s get you somewhere safe!” Adrien just snorted as a response, suppressing loud laughter. 

_Why_ , oh _why_ , was she like this?

Two more small smiles of understanding from each of them acted as a sort of truce. Neither of them were any good with these things. Ladybug decided to cut her losses and threw her yo-yo, pulling the two of them off their current roof. She felt Adrien tuck his head into her shoulder in an attempt to avoid any unwanted attention from people below them. Luckily, the fall of night acted as a great cover.

Within minutes, Ladybug flew over the chimney of her own house and touched down on the balcony. She released Adrien and gave him a small smirk accompanied by a tiny, awful laugh that had absolutely no purpose other than to verbally convey how embarrassing she was. Being the kind soul he was, Adrien just smiled back at her, gently. It took all of her power to not get lost in his gorgeous eyes and how he looked damn good in glasses. Unfortunately for her, it didn’t work too well. 

Snapping out of her trance, she closed her eyes and released her transformation, falling comfortably back into her daily clothes. Adrien put out his arms to steady her as her energy level dropped. 

But that’s not the only thing that fell. 

A cellphone smashed into the deck of the balcony, breaking the two awkward teens out of their trances. Marinette’s head shot around to the source of the noise and her blood ran cold. Apparently, she was way more distracted by Adrien than she originally thought. 

Because standing by the trap door on her daughter's balcony, wide-eyed and jaw-dropped, was Sabine Dupain-Cheng.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ohhhhhh, Sabine is here to parent the heck out of these kids. (Thank goodness).
> 
> Semi-sad news: I'm putting this story on a baby hiatus for about a week and a half. I'll be on vacation with minimal access to wifi and when I am able to connect, I'll be uploading some stories I've written for Ladynoir July (I'm such a sucker for that ship). Follow me @constantconfusion14.tumblr.com or subscribe to me on ao3 if you want to catch some of them (I'm super excited :D). 
> 
> See you guys soon!


	17. The Parents

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aye yo, I'm back! I was able to get a lot of WIP's off my chest so now more of my attention can be focused on this fic. I'm glad to be posting again for ya'll's because you give me so much love <3\. 
> 
> Also, I took some liberties in assuming the dialect of Chinese Adrien and Sabine know is Mandarin. It just never sat right with me that they spoke "Chinese" because that could mean any number of things. If I made an incorrect assumption here, please don't hesitate to point it out! 
> 
> Anyway, here's chapter 17!

There were about ten seconds of silence before all hell broke loose.

Adrien could’ve used that time to cover his face with his hood, offer his hand in greeting, or spill out an explanation. Instead, he did absolutely nothing. Apparently, he’d been so utterly lost in Ladybug’s,  _ Marinette’s _ beauty, that he completely failed to notice her mother watching the entire scene fold out. Seeing as she was five feet away from them, it was pretty embarrassing for the pair of heroes to have missed such a big detail. 

Marinette and her mom decided to start speaking at the same time. 

“Maman! Uh...I can explain? I can explain! There’s a perfectly logical explanation for why it might  _ look _ like I’m Ladybug carrying Adrien Agreste and that explanation is uhh…..magic? Yes! It’s all magic! None of this is real!”

“Marinette Dupain-Cheng, so help me you have got a  _ lot  _ of explaining to do! You’re  _ Ladybug?  _ And you found Adrien? Why isn’t he with the police, or at his house? Why do you have him? And why are you  _ Ladybug??” _

It took a few moments for Adrien to realize that mother and daughter were yelling at each other in different languages. Adrien was suddenly very thankful he spoke both French and Mandarin. Unfortunately, his lingual skills did not help him at all when it came to listening to two very panicked people speaking simultaneously. 

Marinette was still frantically blabbering about magic and fake illusions when Sabine turned her fury to the blonde boy. She flawlessly switched back to French. “And you! Are you hurt? What happened? Were you kidnapped? Did you run away? You look exhausted and hungry!” She reached out and grabbed his hand, pulling him behind her as she entered her daughter’s bedroom. Adrien put up no resistance. 

This was terrifying. 

Sabine continued yelling at him as she stopped down the sets of ladders. “I swear you had me so worried young man! You’re  _ never _ allowed to do this again!”

“Maman! Wait!” Marinette cried, following the pair down into her room.

The furious mother was not about to wait. “Neither of you are allowed to utter a single word until your father is part of this discussion!” She threw open the trapdoor in Marinette’s room with strength even his miraculous couldn’t grant him and towed the two teenagers behind her. 

Once in the family living space, she plopped them both down on the couch and glared at them. But then her eyes softened and began to water. Out of nowhere, she rushed forward and pulled them into a massive hug. She placed a kiss on both of their foreheads and then pulled back. 

She pointed a finger at them both. “I love you both, but don’t you even  _ think _ about moving.” And then she stormed out.

Was...was this what it felt like to be parented?

He sent a look of complete confusion to Marinette beside him, who was holding her head in her hands, shaking it back and forth. “Ugh...this is a disaster.”

A loud “ _ WHAT?” _ suddenly sounded from a few flights below them. Adrien would know that booming voice anywhere. He flinched. Marinette was right. This was a complete disaster. But all they could do was wait. 

He unknowingly reached over and grabbed Marinette’s hand for reassurance. He’d hoped to eventually date her, but if this was his impression on her parents, he could kiss that dream goodbye. She looked up at him and instantly saw his panic. 

“Hey, they’re not angry. Well, at you. They might be a little pissed at me. But this is just what they do when they get really worried. I’ve just never seen it on this scale before.” She offered a smile. 

Ok? Worried? He could deal with worried. Right?

The door behind them suddenly opened and two sets of footsteps approached the duo on the couch. Before either teen could react, Tom Dupain reached down and engulfed Adrien in a massive bear hug. Adrien was sure he felt a few bones crack, but he actually found himself melting into it a little. Sure, his friends had given him great hugs earlier. But this? This was all-encompassing. It was a level of love and protection that he hadn’t felt in a while and it...it was  _ really  _ nice, to say the least. 

But the embrace ended (a little too early for Adrien’s taste) and he was met with the concerned-yet-pissed-off face of Marinette’s dad.

“Papa-” Marinette tried again, but she was cut off.

“And you, missy-” He leaned over and pulled his daughter into a similar embrace. Adrien heard Marinette squeak a little, but she didn’t fight it. Her father released her only to point a finger at both of them. “Both of you have  _ a lot _ of explaining to do.”

His wife stepped out from behind him, holding a basket full of food. She placed it between the kids on the couch and looked pointedly at Adrien. “ _ Eat _ ,” she demanded, and he was not one to talk back to authority. “I’m going to call the police to let them know we’ve found you and-”

“NO!” Both teens shot off the couch, waving their hands frantically.

“Please, Maman, let us explain before you do that. We can’t get the police involved. Adrien needs to stay hidden.” Marinette’s voice was almost as demanding as her parents’ and Adrien was not surprised at the familial trait. Both her mother and father furrowed their eyebrows and turned their attention to the blonde in question, looking for an explanation. 

Their eyes watched him, 2 parts worry and 1 part confusion. He opened his mouth to try and explain why they couldn’t call the police,  _ or _ his father, but froze up. 

H-how was he supposed to explain?

He stared at Marinette’s parents for a few uncomfortable moments, completely at a loss for words. Without his permission, his eyes began watering and he sat back down, falling into the soft, white cushions. He covered his face to hide the tears in a desperate attempt to save face, but his vocal sobs broke through the barrier. 

This was pathetic.  _ Utterly _ pathetic. 

But despite his terrible reaction, Adrien felt an immediate decrease in the tension of the room. He felt a small hand on his shoulder,  _ was that Marinette or her mom?  _ And heard a feminine, “Oh, honey.”

Oh, god. It sounded like  _ his _ mom. 

His mom. Who was either comatose, or…something worse, in his  _ father’s  _ creepy bunker because  _ he  _ was  _ Hawkmoth _ . This-this was too much. Too much. Too much. 

He kept his hands over his face but managed out a loud “I’m so sorry!” through his gross, hiccuping sobs. He felt the cushion next to him sink considerably and then the large, warm arms were surrounding him again. 

At this point, Adrien wasn’t even embarrassed to lean into M. Dupain’s hug. This massive safety net was what he needed. Be it all to hell, but he was going to take what he needed for once in his life. On his other side he felt a smaller weight and he recognized Mme. Dupain-Cheng’s smaller frame also wrapping him in her own crushing hug. She reached up and stroked his hair (which was probably filthy) and spoke him calming phrases like “You’re okay here, you’re safe, just let it out sweetheart, you’re safe, you’re safe.”

Adrien had no idea how she knew what to say, but it was exactly what he needed to hear. And as badly as he wanted to shake the hands of his hopefully-soon-to-be-girlfriend’s parents and put on a macho face, he couldn’t gather the strength. He just bowed further into his hands within their embrace and let his sorrows rain from his eyes. If he were a downpour, he’d be torrential, drenching the drought-stricken towns beneath his storm clouds after bottling his emotions for so long.

He felt absolutely pathetic, but it felt so good to be vulnerable and completely safe for a few, precious moments that he didn’t bother to try and cut his tears short. 

After what was probably an uncomfortably long time for the two parents, Adrien’s cries subsided into sniffles and he pushed against them, trying to sit back up. They lessened their grips on him, without letting go completely. Adrien wasn’t brave enough to look at their faces yet, but he managed another small apology to both of them.

Sabine continued stroking his hair. “Sweetheart, you have nothing to be sorry for. Of course you’re safe here, and we’re not going to do anything until you feel comfortable with it, okay?”

“Mm hmm” was all he managed out. 

“Well, except feed you. You’re much too skinny, like Marinette. You both need more food.”

“Hey!” Marinette cried out from somewhere behind her towering father. Adrien chuckled a little, rubbing his eyes to hide the evidence of tears. Mme. Dupain-Cheng stood and put the basket of pastries where she’d been sitting. 

“Munch on these while I make some actual food for you. We’ll discuss all of this when you feel ready.” He nodded gently, trying desperately to thank her with his eyes as his voice was failing him spectacularly. 

On his other side, M. Dupain finally released him completely and stood up to face him. The sudden lack of people around him was slightly jarring and Adrien felt uncomfortable almost immediately. It was cold. Much colder than he’d wanted to be and he longed for another hug from any one of the three people in the room. Thankfully, Marinette was good at reading his mind and slid over beside him in the absence of her father. She wrapped her small arms around his and held him as best she could.

It wasn’t as much as her father, but it was perfect and Adrien was able to relax again. He’d never been so dependent on touch. But now that he’d had a taste of it, he didn’t want to ever live again without someone he trusted directly next to him, providing some kind of shelter. 

Lost in his thoughts, Adrien hadn’t noticed the tension creeping back into the room between father and daughter. He reached down and grabbed a croissant from the basket, munching on it slowly, trying to ignore the gaze of the father in front of him. After a few painful minutes, M. Dupain coughed a deliberate “ahem,” and looked at his daughter for answers. 

“Uh…” Adrien could feel the heat coming off her face as she tried to explain the PDA in front of her parents. “He uh...I wanted him to feel safe?”

The man sighed, amused. “These are extenuating circumstances, so I’ll let it slide this time. But, young lady, you’ve got your own explaining to do. Come here.” He opened his arms to her and Marinette moved from Adrien’s side, sliding into another one of her dad’s hugs. “Our daughter, savior of Paris. I should’ve noticed it earlier. But I am so proud.”   
  
Sabine must’ve realized what was going on because she dropped what she was doing and joined with her family, holding her daughter tightly. “We both are, dear. So, so proud of you.”

The scene was perfect and it warmed Adrien’s heart. This is exactly what a family was supposed to look like. This is what it was supposed to feel like, sound like and be. He couldn’t help but be a tad bit jealous. But then they broke apart and Sabine ran back into the kitchen when a timer beeped. Her husband ruffled their daughter’s hair and followed her. Marinette seemed rather surprised, but offered her hand to Adrien and pulled him towards the counter. 

Leftovers were presented to the two teens impossibly quickly and Adrien was nearly drooling over the smell of noodles and veggies, a typical Chinese dinner. He hadn’t realized until the food was in front of him that he was absolutely starving. When was the last time he’d eaten? It seemed like it was his first meal in years. 

Marinette’s stomach growled loudly next to him and he realized she must’ve been just as hungry as him. Both he and his partner devoured the food presented to them. Under different circumstances, Adrien would’ve been more focused on his appearance and table manners. Although he wasn’t being rude, it was certainly obvious that he was enjoying the food.

M. Dupain and Mme. Dupain-Cheng explained that they’d already eaten dinner, which is why they didn’t join the two children now. As soon as Marinette finished her bowl and got up to clean it, the barrage of questions started. Adrien tried to stay out of the way as much as possible, simply helping himself to more and more of the dish.  _ Had food ever tasted this good? _

“Alright, first question. How are you Ladybug? Since when? And why?”

“Maman, that was like, three questions.” Marinette rinsed her bowl, wiped it with soap, rinsed it again and placed it on a towel next to the sink. 

“And you’re going to answer all of them.” Her father spoke up from beside his wife.

Marinette sighed, returning to her stool next to Adrien and began her explanation. She gestured to her earrings and spoke of the power within them, as long as she focused and willed herself to use it. She briefly explained a guardian chose her for the role and told her parents she’d always been Ladybug. 

“This ‘guardian’ chose a teenage girl to be the Savior of Paris? They deliberately put a child in danger? Who is this person? Where are they? I’ve got a couple choice words for them.” Her father seemed as though he was ready to go fight Master Fu right then and there, but Mme. Dupain-Cheng put her hand on her husband’s arm.

“I don’t know why I was chosen exactly, but part of the reason is because Ladybug and Chat Noir have to balance one another out perfectly. I’m one half of the whole and he’s the other. I’m not sure if there’s anyone else in Paris who fits that description as well as we do.” M. Dupain still seemed pissed off, but he must’ve chalked it up to ‘things outside his control’ and just sat quietly, listening to the rest of the conversation.

“And what about Chat Noir?” Her mother asked. Adrien coughed suddenly into his bowl. They all looked at him but then turned their attention back to their daughter. 

“What about him?” she replied, casually. 

“Does he know who you are?”

“Uh…..yeah. But like, he just recently found out.”   


“Do you know who he is?” Her mother pressed further. 

Adrien choked again, trying to hide his face with the bowl and stay out of the conversation. Marinette looked at him, desperately trying to have a silent exchange, but he was not cooperating. Adrien tried to obviously ignore her non-verbal signals and shut down any ideas she had. Unfortunately, their not-so-discrete signals to each other were picked up on by her parents. 

Two sets of eyes widened and both of their mouths dropped open. Tom nodded towards Adrien, lifting a finger and pointing weakly. “Ch-Chat Noir?

The bowl was still held up closely to his face, but he sent a sheepish smile around it. “Hello,” he said quietly. 

And then they laughed. Deep, bellowing laughter from Tom and giggles of disbelief from Sabine.

“Oh, sweetheart, you feel for the same boy  _ twice?” _

“Maman!” Marinette grunted back at her. But Adrien knew exactly what she was talking about. Her parents must’ve known about her crush on Adrien. Mix that together with that terrible Chat Noir brunch date and recent realization? It was an even worse concept of the love-square than the one Marinette and Adrien were actually trapped in.

“And you, my boy, if you love Ladybug, then that means you rejected the girl you love for the girl you love!” Adrien’s blush deepened, and he knew it wasn’t from the spices of the noodle dish.

Marinette’s initial reaction had been perfectly accurate. This was a disaster. 

It took much longer than either teen would’ve preferred to explain their relationship predicament. Adrien was surprised to learn Marinette’s confession was a terrible attempt to keep him from finding out her identity. It definitely made the story that much more interesting.

By the time the adults understood the complete ridiculousness of it all, it was late. Very late. A clock sounded somewhere and they all sat in silence as it chimed too many times to count. It had been a very, very, very long day. Adrien yawned loudly, breaking everyone from the silence. Marinette fell victim to its contagion and repeated Adrien’s actions. She looked up at her parents. “I think we need to go to sleep. A lot’s happened today.” They looked down at the teens quizzically. 

“Dear, I don’t want to push you, but shouldn’t Adrien go to his own house tonight? Or is something there the reason you’re not safe?” He wasn’t upset at her for asking the question, as she had every right to know why he needed to stay in her home tonight. But that didn’t make answering any easier. Adrien couldn’t bring his eyes to meet those of the mother and father. 

Marinette responded for him. “It’s...his father. Adrien ran away because his father did something...unspeakable. That’s why M. Agreste reported him missing, because he doesn’t know where Adrien is. But, he’s much safer with us than he will ever be there. Please, can he stay with us for the time being?”

A collective sigh ran through the parents before Tom spoke up. “Of course he can. Adrien?” The blonde finally looked up to meet the man’s eyes. “You’re always welcome here. And you’re safe. Whenever you’re ready, we’d like to learn more about this situation. But until then, our home is your home.”

And that’s all he had ever wanted. A home. 

**************

Allowing Adrien to sleep in Marinette’s room was asking a little too much of the already-overwhelmed couple so he was placed in a guest bedroom. It was on the flight below the living room/kitchen area. A single, small room opened up off the staircase, perfect for temporary guests. A thin layer of dust covered most of the surfaces for which Mme. Dupain-Cheng apologized greatly. Adrien tried to assure her it was fine, but she dusted it regardless. 

After letting him use their shower, the family hugged him individually, bidding him good night as they all returned to their own bedrooms. Adrien closed the door partly, leaving it about half way open. Never would he live behind closed doors again. He removed the glasses from his face and placed them on the nightstand.

The mattress was a little too soft, but it wasn’t an issue. He laid his head back against the pillow and took in the smell of the room around him. Overwhelmingly, it smelled like sugar. Which was strange, but a bakery was attached directly below him, so it made sense. He also smelled the laundry detergent of the clean sheets and even the slight ‘old’ smell from lack of use. Whenever Marinette had sleepovers, her friends probably stayed in her room, rather than using the guest bedroom. Was Adrien the first boy to ever sleep over? He blushed at the thought, though he knew it was ridiculous. 

Actually, this was his first sleepover period. Never, had he expected it to go the way it had, but he’d also never expected to be able to _ have _ a sleepover until he was 18. So, he supposed, in a terrible but laughable sort of way, he was doing pretty okay in the teenager department. 

He continued to focus on the feel of the cool sheets and how they lacked the familiarity of his own. But, it didn’t bother him. He wanted things to change; they needed to change. Even this small difference in sheets was a good thing. He accepted it gladly. Before long, he felt himself drifting off into a dreamless sleep, for which he was immensely grateful. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would die for Tom Dupain and Sabine Dupain-Cheng, honestly. I hope Tom and Gabriel meet in canon and have a father show-down moment (ofc Tom would win and it would be beautiful (maybe I'll write something about it idk)). 
> 
> Shameless Plug: If you enjoy my writing, go check out some of my other stories! I'm super excited about some I've recently posted and I'd love to share them with more people. Or, find me on tumblr @constantconfusion14. As always, thank you for reading!


	18. Father Figure

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's a day late! This week has been wild, you guys. But luckily, things are getting better and tomorrow's my cat's 8th birthday. It's like a bright light on the horizon!
> 
> I hope no one sees this chapter as a 'filler'. If that were its only purpose, I wouldn't have included it. In this story, Adrien has gone through some trauma, so I'm making a point to make his recovery deliberate. That's why it focuses a lot on his feelings and emotions. Recovery is a long road, and it takes time. Thankfully, the Dupain-Chengs are the absolute best medicine for this poor boy.

What felt like moments after he closed his eyes, Adrien bolted awake to the sound of a crashing pan. He panicked for a second, not recognizing his surroundings. Was he in his room? Why was it so dark? Where were his large windows? And why was everything so _blurry?_

He fumbled his hand around his body, in search of his phone that could hopefully provide him with some answers. Nothing, not even the cord to a phone charger. At some point, he felt a nightstand next to him and pushed himself to sit up so he could search there, too. It was too blurry and dark to see anything, but his hands found a pair of glasses.

It was worth a shot?

He placed them on his face and his surroundings sharpened instantly. But he was suddenly overtaken by the need to go back to sleep. Was he just tired or had the glasses caused the abrupt change? And why was there a slight blue glow to everything?

Adrien threw the blankets off him and listened intently for any more sounds like the one that awoke him. Loud whirring came from directly below him, but he couldn’t place it. He wasn’t at home, which was...good? Why was that good? And why was he here instead? Where was _here_ anyway? There were too many questions and far too few answers. A deep sense of dread mixed with an immense feeling of relief inside of him to create a vibe too difficult to explain. Adrien walked over to the door and pulled it open slightly to peek into the hallway.

Nothing. No one was here. That meant it would be easier to escape. 

Adrien felt his forehead crease at that thought. Why was escaping his initial reaction? His gut feeling said he was safe, but something deeper inside of him told him to get away from anything and anyone as quickly as possible. He blinked a couple times to adjust his eyes to the darkness and took a deep breath. To say he was unnerved would be an understatement. 

In a sudden panic, his thumb flew to his ring finger. Thankfully, it found it’s target and brushed the ring on his finger grateful. He still had a miraculous. That was a good sign. For a moment, Adrien debated transforming. Night vision would definitely give him an advantage at the moment. But he didn’t know where he was or who _else_ was here. Seeing as only one other person other than him knew his secret identity, it would be a mistake to creep around as Chat Noir. 

Adrien tried to push away the thought that he’d fallen asleep here as Chat Noir and anyone else in this building was expecting to see a superhero, not a civilian. He wouldn’t have done that, _right?_ Adrien reached up and rubbed his eyes, almost knocking off the glasses he’d forgotten he was wearing. 

If only he could remember what was happening. _I guess there’s only one way to find out_.

He took one more tentative glance into the empty hallway and then pushed the door open completely. He stepped fully out of his room and looked up and down, surveying the staircase. Wherever he was, it was strangely constructed, but it felt oddly familiar. The smarter choice would’ve been to move down, towards the exit of the building. But for a brief second, his sense of relief spiked and told him to move upwards. Something up those steps could help him, he was sure of it. 

The stairs creaked slightly under his weight so he did his best to walk up the sides to be as quiet as possible until he reached the flight above him. Something told him that this was exactly where he was supposed to be, but he had no memory of what this place was or why he was here. Unfortunately, he had nothing else to go on. The boy approached the closest door and pushed it open slowly, eliciting a small creak from the hinges.

Before he took another step into the room, he was met with a towering figure. It took every ounce of Adrien’s being to stop from screaming from the jumpscare, but he did cover his mouth to help stay quiet. He stared at the figure, terrified as he desperately tried to place the man. He was familiar, _too_ familiar. 

He was...he was...Marinette! Well, her father.

A thousand thoughts flew through his mind in the matter of an instant. All the events of yesterday, the weeks before that and all of the terrible things that had happened. But, amongst the bad was a lot of good. Nino, Alya, Marinette and her parents, Master Fu. It was okay. It was all okay. He was safe here. He was safe.

The man in front of Adrien seemed just as surprised though at the boy’s sudden presence, and took a few steps back while grabbing his chest. “Oh, geez. You scared me there, son. What are you doing up at this hour?”

Calming his rapidly beating heart, Adrien managed out: “I-I’m sorry sir. I came up here for...uh...water?” How could he possibly explain the weird memory-lapse, or pure instinct that pulled him up here?

M. Dupain softened and stepped aside, ushering Adrien into the room. “You don’t have to call me sir. Tom will do just fine.” He gently shoved Adrien into the kitchen and reached up to a cabinet for a cup. He filled it with water from the tap and handed it to the boy in front of him. Adrien smiled, thankfully and began drinking from it. 

Apparently, he actually was thirsty. _Extremely_ thirsty. Water rushed past his horribly chapped lips and poured down his throat for the first time in what felt like forever. The feeling could only be described as ecstacy and the glass was soon empty. He pulled it away from his face, only for Tom to take it out of his hands and fill it up again. Adrien accepted it with a small “Thank you,” and this time, he cherished the sips more slowly. 

For the first time since he entered the room, Adrien became aware of a low buzzing noise behind him. He turned around and saw the tv in the living room projecting light onto the figures in the kitchen. The volume was turned so low that barely any noise broke through, but Adrien instantly recognized the familiar faces of the news anchors. It was the early local broadcast.

He watched silently as the meteorologist pointed to different points of the map, where many, many raincloud icons hung over Paris. Tom moved suddenly and walked over to the couch. Again, he pushed Adrien’s shoulder gently, guiding him to sit next to him. Although the blonde was tempted to rush back down to the solace of his temporary bedroom to avoid any uncomfortable conversations, he didn’t want to offend the man responsible for his safety. 

“I’ve got the ovens warming up downstairs, but it’s going to take a while for it all to be ready for me. Why don’t we watch the news together? I have a feeling you’re not going back to sleep.”

Adrien just held his cup of water with two hands, like a child, and relaxed a little into the cushions behind him. Honestly, he _could’ve_ fallen back asleep right on the soft couch if he’d wanted to, but he went along with the story anyway. “Yeah, probably not. I’ve got a lot on my mind.”

Specifically, _why_ had he not remembered anything just a minute ago? Was that one of those ‘wake up in a different place and be disoriented for a few moments’ deal? It being his first ‘sleep-over’ it was possible that he was just confused about his surroundings. But he didn’t think it was supposed to last for more than a few seconds. It had taken him a couple _minutes_ and a visual aid to help him remember what was going on. 

And, on top of everything else, why had he felt drawn upstairs? Did some part of him know to seek Marinette out for help? Was that caused by a deep emotional connection, or something more? Had his miraculous helped guide him to Ladybug somehow? Adrien blinked to suppress the endless questions flooding his mind. He’d have to talk to Marinette and Master Fu about what had happened. Surely they had more answers than he did. 

Forcing himself out of his thoughts and back into reality, Adrien felt a pair of eyes on him. He turned and met the concerned look of M. Dupain. The man’s brows were furrowed deeply and stress lines ran across his forehead and creased between his eyes. “Is there anything you’d like to talk about, Adrien? You seem like you’ve got a lot rolling around in there.” He offered a gentle smile and gestured towards the boy’s head. 

Adrien bit the inside of his lip, debating on if he should spill the whole story right then and there. The issue was, there was just too much to tell. And if he was being honest with himself, Adrien wasn’t sure he had the strength to start from the beginning and retell it all. “I, uh… I wanted to say thank you.” The blonde finally brought his eyes up to meet the man’s. “You, Mme. Dupain-Cheng and Marinette have done more for me than anyone I’ve ever met. I’m so sorry to burden you all like this, but, really. Thank you.”

The man huffed a little, not entirely satisfied that he had no more clues as to what was going on, but he accepted the answer anyway. “No apology necessary. We’re always happy to help out Marinette’s friends, and the heroes of Paris. You happen to be both, which just means you get special treatment.”

Before Adrien could respond, he heard his own name echoing from the t.v in front of them. He whipped his head around, all senses immediately focused on the news report. Tom grabbed the remote and increased the volume marginally, just enough so they could hear. 

“Young supermodel, Adrien Agreste was reported missing yesterday by his father, Gabriel Agreste.” The screen changed to show a recent modeling picture of Adrien, along with a small list of his information. “As pictured, he has blonde hair and green eyes, is 167 cm and 65 kg. He’s been missing for about 36 hours, making this a crucial time in the investigation. Although Gabriel Agreste denied an interview with our reporters, he did release this statement regarding his son’s disappearance.” 

The news anchors were both displaying concerned and sympathetic faces. The brunette male was the one who had been speaking and continued as he echoed Gabriel Agreste’s words. “‘Adrien is the only family I have left, and I wish nothing more than to see him return home safely. If you have any information that may prove helpful, please call the provided number’”

The female co-anchor picked up when the man stopped. Despite reporting on a missing child case, her voice still held a certain level of aloofness. Her fake smile was replaced with a fake look of concern. She spoke as if she were addressing a toddler. “At the moment, authorities say foul play is not suspected, but any information on Adrien’s whereabouts is appreciated. Of course, we have the phone number and the rest of the details concerning this case posted online at our website.” She then switched her gaze from the camera to the man sitting next to her. “Oh, it’s just such a tragedy. My twin girls at home love Adrien and his work. Such an inspiration. We hope to see him home, soon.”

A large hand rested on Adrien’s shoulder suddenly, breaking him out of his transfixion on the television. He realized he was gripping his water cup to the point where it felt like he could break it if he pushed a little harder. His jaw had been clenched so tightly that when he released the tension, it ached.

How _dare_ his father make it seem like Adrien just ran away. Which, he did. But foul play was _absolutely_ involved. Adrien had to physically stop himself from growling at the very thought of his father playing the victim to the police and reporters. The thought made him sick. Adrien had never hated anyone, he just didn’t think he was capable of it. But his mother used to say love and hate are separated by a thin line. And although Adrien loved his father, the emotion had never made him tense with revulsion like it was now. He looked up at Marinette’s dad and spoke his feelings aloud before he could stop and be reasonable. “It’s all fake.”

“I don’t doubt it, son. But, would it be a good idea to call the police, anyway? Just so they know where you are. We can explain the situation and not get M. Agreste involved. You’ll still be welcome here. You’ll still be safe.”

Adrien _knew_ that’s what he should’ve done. Of course if told the authorities the truth, they’d protect him and his confidentiality. But that would require facing the facts head on, and he wasn’t sure he could do that yet. 

He’d have to confess his father’s identity to the officials and...what? Would his father go on trial? What would happen to his mom? What would happen to Nathalie? What would happen to _him?_

No, one thing was clear. He and Ladybug had to go about this their way. 

“I’m not safe until he’s gone. Until we take his miraculous.” Adrien was so lost in his thoughts that he hadn’t realized he’d verbalized them until Tom’s grip tightened slightly on his shoulder. 

“I’m sorry, what?”

Adrien felt his pupils shrink and he withdrew from the man’s grip on his shoulder. He tried to backtrack, but it was too late. “A miraculous? The magic jewel things you kids have? But wouldn’t that mean…?”

Shit. He’d put the pieces together. Tom gasped loudly and drew back from the boy, stuck in a state of shock and horror. And of course he’d be horrified by Adrien. Adrien was horrified by himself. The son of Hawkmoth? It wasn’t a pretty title. Especially considering all the times Adrien had the chance to stop him and had failed, miserably. 

Every time his father had drugged him or Amnesia had erased his memory just marked a significant failure on Adrien’s part. All he would’ve had to do was grab the broach from his father and make a run for it. So why had he failed so...catastrophically?

“No, no, no. This isn’t your fault, Adrien. I know that look too well. Marinette wears it all the time. I’m not sure what happened, but there’s nothing you could’ve done that in this situation. I’m sure of it.”

Adrien refused to meet the man’s eyes again. “With all due respect, sir. I had multiple chances, but I did nothing. I just ran. I ran away from my problems and left someone else to clean up the mess. And now everyone thinks I’m missing. The media is eating out of father’s hand and he can spin it whatever way he wishes. If I stand up against him, he’ll make everyone believe I’m just a spoiled brat who threw a temper tantrum and ran away from a life of luxury. What credibility do I have against him?”

“You’re Chat Noir. Paris’s hero. And that man? He’s not your father, Adrien. Not after making you feel this way. You’re free to cut those ties if you need to. But, he is a villain and a terrorist. If you let people know that, you’ll be the one with the credibility, not him.”

Adrien said nothing and just played with the hem of his shirt. The news droned on in the background as did the quiet whir of machines from the bakery. “I-I don’t want anyone else to get hurt.”

Tom had apparently had enough at that point and pulled Adrien into yet another massive hug. Despite all the feelings and terrible voices in his head that told him he didn’t deserve another embrace like this, he selfishly took advantage of it while Tom held him. Because it wasn’t just these past few weeks that Gabriel Agreste had shown his true colors to his son. He’d done that for years.

Ironically, when Adrien felt his weakest did he feel strong enough to realize the flaws of his father. And although he could never entirely fill the empty hole in his heart, Tom Dupain was a pretty good place to start when it came to trying to fill the hole in his life. 

The man released the teen after a while and Adrien had to admit that he did feel better. But he couldn’t ignore the other pressing issues, everything he’d left behind. Every _one._

“Uh! My bodyguard!” He suddenly leaped off the couch in an attempt to go...where? 

“What?” Tom questioned.

“My bodyguard. He was always so kind to me. He’s probably worried sick, he has no idea about any of this or what happened. I need to go find him and let him know I’m okay.”

Mr. Dupain stood from the couch. He reached out to grab Adrien’s arm, but stopped short and let his arm fall back to his side. “Are you sure that’s a good idea? With everything going on? What if someone sees you?”

“Well, then, I….I won’t go as Adrien.”

The man furrowed his eyebrows and tightened his lips into a thin line. Adrien recognized that exact facial expression from the Gorilla. It was a thinking face, weighing the pros and cons of giving the boy in their custody what he wanted. 

“Y-you’re sure this is necessary? And that no one will notice you?”

Wait, was he actually thinking of letting Adrien go? The blonde was like, 97% sure he was going to have to sneak out on his own. “I need to do this, sir- uh, Mr. Dupa- uh, Tom. Please. My bodyguard is one of the closest things to family I actually have. I’ll be quick. You’ll never even know l left.”

Tom thought for a few more seconds before making his decision. “Ok, fine. But if you don’t come back or something happens to you, you’re taking the blame for this one, not me. The girls of this household have a fury like you’ve never experienced.” He silently ushered Adrien to the balcony off the side of the house and opened the door for him. 

“Thank you, thank you! I promise I’ll be careful.” Adrien reached up to take the glasses off his face, but after a moment of thought, left them instead. He then closed his eyes and willed the power of the black cat to overtake him. His familiar black suit brought a certain level of comfort and he opened his eyes, feeling ready to take on the world. Only then did he slip the horse miraculous into his pocket for safekeeping, just in case he needed a quick escape. 

Chat Noir jumped up onto the railing and vaulted out of the room to a rooftop nearby, leaving a stupefied Tom Dupain staring at his disappearing form.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aight, don’t come after me for Adrien’s height or weight. I know his ‘official’ height is 150cm but I disagree with that immensely. The English dub places him at 14 and 150cm just seems really short (especially considering Adrien seems tall for his age). For his weight, I tried to take his modeling and muscle mass into consideration but really I could be way (weigh - haha!) off.
> 
> ALSO! The fact that Gabriel is a freaking giant and is taller than Tom Dupain is also just something I choose to ignore. In this fic, Tom would tower over Gabriel if they were to stand next to each other.
> 
> P.P.S. Shoutout to Skylark27. Their comment on chapter 11 really inspired me for this chapter!


	19. Meetings and Mistakes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One real quick thing before you start reading: I have a head cannon that Emilie was from London and she only moved to Paris after she married Gabriel (who moved there b/c he wanted to pursue fashion). Anyway, this means that Emilie knows English and definitely taught Adrien when he was younger. 
> 
> In the episode "Robustus" Chat Noir says he speaks multiple languages and I really hold him to that in this fic lol. So, anyway, I like to think that Adrien can speak English b/c his mom grew up in London.

The sun had only just begun to kiss the horizon, turning the dark of night into a vibrant, fiery-red. An old saying tickled in the back of Adrien’s mind regarding the weather. _Red skies at night, sailor’s delight. Red skies in morning, sailors take warning_. He heard his mother’s soft voice speaking the phrase in English to him as she cuddled him in the garden one morning, mesmerized by the colorful sky above them. Adrien noticed the heavy air around him, thick with humidity, threatening to clog his throat as he breathed heavily. 

If his mother’s saying had any validity, it was going to be a nasty day. 

His thick boots bounded across rooftops as he recalled the exact schedule the Gorilla followed. It wasn’t hard as his bodyguard was a man of habit, meaning he was in the same place, at the same time, every morning. And thus, Adrien knew exactly where to find him. At least something was an easy task for once.

A bright flash of yellow caught Chat’s eye suddenly as he passed Le Grand Paris. He skirted to a halt on a nearby rooftop, turning his head abruptly. Across the street, his eyes fell upon a girl frantically pacing on her balcony. 

_Chloe._

Her eyes were glued to her phone as she attacked it with her thumbs. Even though the movements were small, there was great emotion packed within each stroke and Chat could see the tension in her hands from his place on the roof across the street. There was no doubt something definitely had her worked up. And Chat knew there were only two reasons why Chloe would throw such a fit. Either her wardrobe was having an abhorrent malfunction, or she was concerned about Adrien Agreste.

Something told him it wasn’t the former. 

Chat turned and glanced at the slowly brightening sky. The sun had yet to break the horizon, but that didn’t stop its light from pouring over and barely illuminating the early morning. He didn’t want to be out very late for fear that someone would notice him. Adrien was not in the mood for talking to the media or spectators at the moment. A superhero’s presence at a random time during the morning was definitely going to raise some questions. 

But, just as it was important to talk to the Gorilla, he realized it was important to talk to Chloe. If nothing else, she had perseverance and the means to reach her goals. If finding Adrien Agreste was what she wanted, then finding Adrien Agreste is what she would get, regardless of the consequences. It was better to ease her mind now than have her get too close and become entangled in the mess of his life. 

Chat pulled his staff out and extended it, vaulting himself to the balcony in his eyesight. He landed with an impossibly soft _thud_. Having her back to him, Chloe didn’t notice his presence until he coughed deliberately. She dropped her phone out of surprise and glared at the cat on her railing. 

She was _not_ in a good mood. 

It being so early in the morning, Chloe was still dressed in her queen-bee themed pajamas. Knowing her, they were probably custom made. The pants were striped black and yellow and the yellow tank top she wore had her spinning top in the middle of it. The background was covered in almost-transparent little bees. What concerned Adrien though, was the fact that her hair was down and a dreadful case of bedhead plagued the blonde strands. No makeup graced her face and it was hard not to notice how exhausted she was. Chloe never let anyone see her without doing herself up, at least a little bit. It was the very first thing she did in the morning. But right now, she didn’t even seem to care that she wasn’t ready for prying eyes.

Her imperfect appearance was not enough to douse the flames of anger that burned within her. She spoke to the cat hero with almost enough venom to paralyze him without a miraculous. “It’s about _time_ one of you showed up. I would’ve preferred Ladybug, but you’ll do I guess.” The muscles surrounding her eyes were tense and Adrien knew this was the angriest he’d ever seen her. Her voice was taught with fear and the words spilled out aggressively, like someone throwing knives at an already pinned target. Once thing was certain: Adrien definitely didn’t want to be at the receiving end of Chloe’s wrath. 

Unfortunately, that seemed to be exactly where he’d placed himself. 

“I watched that miserable akuma fight yesterday. How dare you mock my Adrikins! You’re a shallow imitation, I hope you know that. The fight would’ve gone so much smoother if you’d just recruited Queen Bee for help. But instead, you and Ladybug insist on making your lives more difficult for some unknown reason. Now, give me my miraculous so I can go find Adrien and fix everything!” She stared at Chat Noir with hardened eyes and held out her hand, expectantly. 

Adrien just tilted his head sadly and sent her a sympathetic glance. “I can’t do that, Chloe. I’m sorry. Ladybug is the one in charge of giving out the miraculous. She doesn’t even know I’m here right now.”

Chloe clenched her jaw tightly and Adrien could see her shaking with emotion. When they were little, the two often had playdates at either the Le Grand Paris or the Agreste Mansion. Whenever the Bourgeois’s hosted, Chloe was waited on, hand and foot and was happy as a clam. But when the Agreste's hosted, Emilie frequently denied ridiculous requests and always tried to offer a more convenient substitution to the young girl. Usually, Chloe rejected the replacements and threw herself into an award-winning temper tantrum. She’d scream, throw things, kick at the air, play the guilt card, cry out for her father and even try to manipulate Emilie.

None of her tactics worked and eventually, Chloe learned to act more respectfully when she was at the Agreste’s. But the young Adrien had her outbursts committed to memory. He knew the way her lips quivered right before she was about to shriek. He knew the watery look in her eyes when the hot tears were moments from flowing over. He knew how her cheeks burned red as her temper spiked to a concerning degree.

But right now? There was none of that. Instead she took deep, steady breaths and hosted a pissed off look like Adrien had never seen before. He realized this wasn’t only anger or sadness. It was mixed with heavy determination and severe concern. 

“Then why are you here?” Her usually high-pitched voice had taken on a lower tone and Chat almost felt threatened by her.

He sighed deeply, trying to think of the right words to say without exposing himself or saying too much. “I’m here by special request of Adrien. He wanted me to tell you that he’s okay. He ran away from home because of something his father did. I can’t say anymore, but you need to know that he’s not hurt and he’s safe.”

Chloe stepped up to him, her face centimeters away from his. “Bullshit. Tell me where he is. _Now._ I’ve known Adrien for as long as I can remember and I know he needs me right now. So stop acting like you know what’s best for him. You don’t. As much as I love Ladybug, she doesn’t either.” She bit her lip slightly, but it was only intimidating. “But I do. I always have. I’m only going to ask you once more, you obnoxious cat. _Where. Is. Adrien?”_

To say Adrien was close to de-transforming and spilling all of his closely-guarded beans right then and there would’ve been an understatement. The only thought that kept him from doing so was the fact that he needed to keep as many people safe as he could. Telling Chloe everything would be putting her directly in danger. Too many people were already standing in front of the firing squad. Marinette, her parents, Rena and Carapace...it was too much. Or, rather, too _many_.

Adrien couldn’t do that to anyone else, especially not his oldest friend. So he bit his tongue until a faint amount of blood spilled on his teeth. To his utter dismay, tears attacked the border of his eyes again and he did everything in his power to keep them at bay. _I won’t cry again, I won’t cry again,_ please _don’t cry again!_

Chat Noir’s arms shot up suddenly, surprising the blonde in front of him. He grabbed her shoulders and pulled her close. His arms reached around her back and encased her in the tightest hug he could manage without squeezing the life out of her. Chloe made a strained breathing sound and fought to get out of the embrace. 

Adrien finally let go and started speaking before she got the chance. “I’m sorry for that, but Adrien requested I give you a hug from him. Honestly, Chlo, he’s safe. It’s just that...everything’s a mess right now and he doesn’t want you close to the fire in fear of you getting burned. As soon as it’s safe, he’ll come see you, we promise. But for now, you have to trust him and us. Okay?”

Whatever harsh words she’d loaded and cocked in the gun she had aimed at Chat Noir fell useless to the ground as a single nickname emptied her magazine. Her mouth fell open and she stared uselessly at his soft, blonde hair and gentle, loving smile. She managed a weak nod as he pulled her in for one more, quick hug. Chat Noir’s arms enveloped her in a scarily familiar fashion and then he was gone. 

Chloe couldn’t even bring herself to follow the superhero’s form as he flew off into the Parisian morning. She was frozen in place by a potential realization she hadn’t seen coming in the slightest. Her legs felt weak and she slipped down to the floor, her legs folding over themselves in a criss-cross. 

Only one person in her entire life had ever, _ever_ called her 'Chlo'. A person with golden hair, a curative smile and morals so strong he could easily be a superhero if he had the opportunity. 

A few months ago, someone must’ve given him that chance.

**************

Standing across from the Agreste compound was unnerving. 

Chat Noir stared down at the outer walls, disturbed by his own feelings towards his house. No one should ever feel their skin crawl when they look at their home. With a pain in his chest, Adrien recognized that this place wasn’t home. It may have been his _house_ , but it was no home. It hadn't been in a long time.

He quickly and quietly vaulted himself over the empty street and landed on the compound wall. He perched on the west side, hidden by the long shadows the sliver of sun projected on the world. Pulling out his catphone, Chat checked the time. 

5:30 AM. 

The gorilla would be pulling the car around any second. After which, he would go inside and wait. There had never been a reason for him to arrive so early, unless Adrien had an early morning photoshoot. But as long as Adrien could remember, the man would report to work hours before he was needed and wait. He’d sit at the bottom of the staircase, waiting for Adrien to come down for breakfast. And although he never joined him, his presence was hovering just outside the dining room. At first, Adrien had been unnerved by the always-watching eyes. But then he came to rely on the Gorilla’s early morning routine. It was comforting to see his protective stature every day as he arrived like clockwork.

Normally, he’d have to wait a few hours until Adrien was ready for school. Today, there was no need for that and there was a good chance the Gorilla wouldn’t arrive today at his typical time or arrive at all. As he watched the compound closely, Chat desperately hoped the man would still follow his schedule in an attempt to maintain some sense of normalcy. Maybe M. Agreste or Nathalie would need the car for something. Maybe no one needed the car but the bodyguard needed to feel useful somehow. 

Thankfully, Chat’s assumptions had been correct. Right on time, the silver car rolled through the gates and parked in front of the staircase. The lumbering man got out of the driver’s seat and gently closed the door. He paused for a minute, resting his weight against the vehicle and closed his eyes. If it hadn't been for his superior eyesight, Chat would’ve missed the tear that slid down the man’s cheek. The hero bit his lip again as more guilt plagued him. All of this was his fault. Now countless people were upset because Adrien had acted like a child and ran away from his problems rather than facing them head on. Now was the time to make up for his actions.

The Gorilla quickly shook off whatever sadness her felt and put on his familiar 'indifferent' face. The man began to walk towards the entrance of the mansion. _It’s now or never_ , Adrien thought to himself. Chat Noir, still cloaked in shadow, separated his baton and slammed each half into the wall he stood on, creating a greatly spaced-out flam. The gorilla heard the _thu-thud_ and looked up towards the sound. His eyes widened when they met those of the cat hero and he tilted his head in confusion. 

Before letting him react completely, Adrien moved his arms in the familiar greeting he and the gorilla had created for each other when Adrien was younger. He put his palm to his lips, kissing it slightly and pulling it away. _Bonjour_. He then created a half circle with each hand. He placed his right on top and his left on bottom, the fingertips of each hand touching the palm of the other. _Companion_. The Gorilla recognized the movements immediately and his eyes widened. 

Adrien smiled. It was a simple greeting that spoke volumes between the two of them. It was the very first phrase the Gorilla had taught young Adrien to say in LSF, or French Sign Language. For months, it was the only thing Adrien was able to sign to the man before he was given actual lessons for better communication. Whenever Adrien signed it, the Gorilla’s eyes would soften and he happily returned the gesture. It had become their own greeting. 

Overcoming his stupor, the Gorilla signed the phrase back to Chat, who smiled. Adrien pointed to his chest, signifying himself. He then overlapped his wrists, left over right, and flattened his left palm. The fingers on his right hand formed a fist, except his pointer finger and thumb. Those two stretched outwards and upwards, pointing towards the sky. _Safe_. 

_I’m safe._

The response was a flurry of questions. The Gorilla flattened his right palm, faced it towards the sky, and shook it back and forth. _What?_ He then pinched both of his hands together, the thumb connecting with the other four fingers, and moved his hands rapidly from side to side. _Where?_ Finally, he made a fist with his right hand, leaving only his pointer finger sticking up. He tapped the unraveled finger against his head, right next to his eye. _Why??_

Adrien was definitely not fluent in LSF and struggled to come up with an answer the Gorilla would be able to understand without verbal assistance. As much as Adrien wanted to jump down and hug the man, he knew he needed to keep his distance. Coming here at all was a risk and he couldn’t take anymore just to give details. It wasn’t fair to his bodyguard to put him in harm's way like that. He was already too close to both Hawkmoth _and_ Mayura. Plus, now he knew Chat Noir’s identity. Adrien wanted to give him enough information to know that he needed to watch out for himself, but nothing more.

For once, it was the bodyguard that needed protecting.

So, Adrien did what he could. He made an _L_ with his forefinger and thumb at the corner of his mouth and pinched it shut. _Father_. He folded the digits of each finger over as much as he could, but left his palm open and made a single horizontal movement with his tense hand. _Is_. Finally, he crossed his hands over one another, but connected his thumbs. His palms faced his body and he made a slight fluttering movement with his other fingers as he moved the butterfly shape around his head. _Papillon._

The Gorilla stood, horrified and took a few steps back. He shook his head and made some movements back at the boy. _Are you sure?_

Adrien made an ‘ok’ sign with his right hand and shook it forward and backwards. _Yes_. He then made fists with both hands and swung his arms back and forth by his side. _Run._ He outstretched his hands, extending his thumbs upwards and dragged both hands down either side of his chest and then repeated an earlier sign by placing one wrist over the other and pointing upwards with his right hand. _Be Safe._

The Gorilla, still locked in shock, could only nod solemnly. Adrien wanted to tell him about Nathalie, too, but he couldn’t remember the sign for _assistant_ and something told him he didn’t have the time to spell out her entire name. He moved to sign _peacock_ , but the doors at the top of the staircase slammed open suddenly. 

Speak of the devil and she shall appear. 

The dark-haired assistant came bolting down the steps and stood side by side with the Gorilla. She looked up at the superhero with a familiar level of understanding. It was the same look she always provided in lieu of another dinner cancelation with his father. Adrien had always felt it was her way of telling him she loved him and he loved that look, despite the circumstances she gave it in. 

Except now, it was like a slap to the face. 

Chat recoiled and just barely stopped himself from hissing at her presence.

“Please! Let me talk to you! I saw who you are! I can understand what you must be feeling, and I know why! Please, let me help you!” Her voice was pleading and desperate. Everything about her tone screamed _truthfulness_ , but Adrien was beyond giving people the benefit of the doubt. 

Just seeing Nathalie set off a chain reaction within his body. His fear and adrenaline spiked. Every ounce of his being was set on high alert in order to protect himself from the threat she presented to him. He trusted Nathalie, he had _loved_ her. But right now, there was no room in his heart for forgiveness. 

Instead of responding, he extended his pointer finger upwards and moved it horizontally across his body in one fluid motion. He then framed his face, his left hand laying flat beneath his chin and his right sitting against his forehead as if in a weak salute. He moved both away from his body in a slow motion. _No trust._

His eyes glowed with anger and fear and the tears he had so desperately tried to keep inside finally spilled over and poured down his cheeks. His breathing was ragged again and it felt like a fire was burning inside of him. Every time he looked at Nathalie, it grew hotter, singing his insides painfully and making him wish he’d never come here in the first place. 

Now she _knew_. She knew who he was.

Adrien had compromised himself because he had believed he could do something good for once in his life. Of course he’d gotten caught. Of course he’d blown his identity. Because the black cat miraculous was nothing but bad luck and destruction. Why he thought he could get away from that for even a moment was beyond him. 

This had been a mistake. It was all a mistake. 

He reached frantically for his pocket and zipped it open with one sharp movement. He turned away from the woman he had once thought of as a sort of mother and jumped off the compound’s wall as he placed the horse miraculous on his face. His feet hit the ground harshly and he stumbled away into a nearby alley. Without even considering the fact that he was wearing two miraculous, Adrien forced a second transformation over himself. He felt a mix of both powers flowing over him but barely paid it attention and instead created a portal directly underneath him.

There was no place in his mind. He just had to get away. He had to escape these awful people who'd neglected, betrayed and abused him. Adrien dropped into the portal towards the only thing he's ever wanted. In a moment of weightlessness, Adrien fell away from the house he’d tried to call home for years. He fell away from the people he thought loved him. He fell away from the pain and anguish.

Adrien fell towards home. The only home he’d ever known and the only person who could extinguish the ever-growing fire inside of him. 

The portal opened into Marinette’s bedroom and Adrien surprised attacked her from above. She screamed as they crashed into the wooden floor, completely taken aback by his sudden appearance. Marinette pushed herself up, so she was leaning on her elbows and took in the scene in front of her. Adrien released both of his transformations immediately and tackled her again in a massive hug. 

Although tears rolled down his face, he remained silent as he pushed his face deeper into Marinette's neck. He held tightly onto the girl and she quickly wrapped him in her own hug. They stayed there for a while, wound around each other in a unique embrace with no questions asked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, I know absolutely nothing about LSF and if anyone does, feel free to point out any mistakes I've made. Below, I have all of the links I used for each word listed. I used Google to translate a word from English to French and then looked up the French word using an LSF database to find the sign used for it. Yes, this method is problematic but there are almost no resources written in English about French Sign Language, so I tried my best. (I've never studied a signed language either, so I know there are probably grammatical errors as well).
> 
> Here are the links (b/c I know struggled with my descriptions)
> 
> http://www.sematos.eu/lsf-p-bonjour-6315-en.html ← Bonjour  
> http://www.sematos.eu/lsf-p-compagnon-8067-en.html ← Companion  
> http://www.sematos.eu/lsf-p-moi-9003-en.html ← Moi  
> http://www.sematos.eu/lsf-p-sauf-7840-en.html ←Safe  
> http://www.sematos.eu/lsf-p-quel-7827-en.html ← What  
> http://www.sematos.eu/lsf-p-o%C3%B9-6352-en.html ← Where  
> http://www.sematos.eu/lsf-p-pourquoi-6365-en.html ← Why  
> http://www.sematos.eu/lsf-p-p%C3%A8re-7433-en.html ← Father  
> http://www.sematos.eu/lsf-p-est-7790-en.html ← Is  
> http://www.sematos.eu/lsf-p-papillon-5410-en.html ← Papillion  
> http://www.sematos.eu/lsf-p-oui-6353-en.html ← Yes  
> http://www.sematos.eu/lsf-p-courir-5540-en.html ← Run  
> http://www.sematos.eu/lsf-p-%C3%AAtre-5725-en.html ← Be  
> http://www.sematos.eu/lsf-p-non-6350-en.html ← No  
> http://www.sematos.eu/lsf-p-confiance-6904-en.html ← Trust
> 
> Holy links Batman! Anyway, thank you so much for reading! See you in the next chapter!


	20. Easier Said Than Done

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hahaha...this update is late because I actually don't know what day it is (sorry!).
> 
> IMPORTANT TW: Towards the end of this chapter, there's a few sentences that sound like non-con (it's not, I just wrote it that way as a metaphor). But I did underline it so it stands out. Please feel free to skip it if it makes you feel uncomfortable.

Nathalie had seen everything. She knew now. 

She knew just how much damage she had caused.

Chat Noir - No,  _ Adrien _ \- stared at her with such an immense amount of pain that Nathalie shivered from an unexpected wave of coldness that radiated off the boy. And then he fled; jumping off the tall compound to the harsh cement below. Instinctually, Nathalie took a frantic step to make sure he was alright. Before her foot fully touched the ground though, something grabbed her shoulder. 

In an instant she was pinned against the silver car, The Gorilla’s massive hands holding her shoulders down. He wore a look of anger that she’d never seen before. Sure, he always appeared bored or inconvenienced. But furious? Never. 

Along with his anger were strong tones of confusion. He didn’t need to sign anything for Nathalie to figure out he didn’t understand what was happening. All he knew was that Adrien was Chat Noir, Gabriel was Hawkmoth, Adrien was not happy with Nathalie, and that something terrible must’ve happened to the boy. Unfortunately, that was plenty of kindling to stoke the fire burning inside the man.

“I know you must be confused, but please, I’m just trying to help him.”

The man’s facial expression morphed into one of frustration. He clenched his jaw and finally released the woman from against the car. His hands, now free, began moving frantically as he explained his concerns. 

_ What did you do to him? If Adrien doesn’t trust you, why should I?  _

He ended with his finger pointing at his chest. As soon as the motion was completed, his hand clenched into a tense fist. Although he dropped his arm slightly to his side, his body language was still defensive.

“You shouldn’t. Because I’m Mayura and I’ve been helping M. Agreste terrorize Paris for months.” Nathalie averted her eyes, but heard the man in front of her inhale deeply with a calm rage. “But I’m done. M. Agreste is unravelling and he’s going too far. He’s putting Adrien in direct danger, whether he realizes it or not. You have no reason to trust me, but please, know that everything I do from this point on is for  _ his _ benefit.” She gestured to the place where Chat Noir had been crouching moments before. 

As a mute man who encountered people he was unable to communicate with on a daily basis, the bodyguard had mastered the art of facial expressions. One look was worth a thousand words and Nathalie was able to understand what he was saying better than almost anyone. Right now, his brows were furrowed greatly and a noticeable scowl pinned his mouth into a frown. He was distraught, clearly. But he was also hurt, betrayed, baffled and angry. 

Most of all, he was protective. Nathalie knew he had no partner and no children. He rarely referenced his parents and had never spoken of siblings. As far as she was aware, the Agrestes were his family, just as they had become hers. Nathalie even thought of her coworker in a familial manner. After all they’d been through over the years, it was easy to depend on him. 

Silently, the Gorilla brought his hands to his chest and began to speak. He pointed at Nathalie, made a motion, and then held both palms open towards the sky. He pulled his fingers together on both hands until the thumb was touching the other four. Then, he held out his pointer and middle fingers on his left hands and used the same fingers on his right hand to brush over them. 

_ You have a lot to fix _ . 

“I know, I know.”

_ And leave Adrien alone _ .

“I promise. I won’t go near him. I’m going to try and fix things from my end. Maybe Gabriel can come to his senses.”

He grunted and looked away from her, a scowl etched into his face. 

“Will you do something for me, though?” 

He held his right hand out, palm facing the sky and shook it back and forth. Although there was no inflection to hear, she knew the level of sass he spoke with.  _ What? _

“Keep an eye on him. Lay low to avoid suspicion, but you know Adrien’s ‘hang out’ spots and which friends he’d go to better than anyone. You don’t have to tell me where he is, but just watch out for him, ok? I’m really worried.”

_ Done. But I’ll do it for him, not as a favor for you. _

The hulking man shoved passed her, catching her shoulder with his own. Nathalie was knocked back into the car. The Gorilla stormed up the stone steps and straightened his jacket before gently entering the mansion. He was there to do his job, just as he was every day. 

Now it was time for Nathalie to do hers. 

********************

The bottom of a cane slammed into the smooth floor with what should’ve been enough force to break the weaker of the two. But the magic of the miraculous protected the cane, leaving a dent and crack in the cool tile as if a tiny nuclear bomb had gone off. Where the cane hit was ground zero and the area around it suffered from the fatal sonic wave. 

Hawkmoth sneered as a familiar “ _ Sir?”  _ sounded from behind him. His breathing was ragged with frustration and his right hand gripped the top of the cane firmly. “What is it,  _ Nathalie _ ?” His voice dripped with venom, as if each word were a poison dagger to throw at the intruder. 

Four tentative clacks were the response as her heels gently moved towards him. “I wish to discuss your plan.”

And that was all that was needed to set him off. 

Hawkmoth whipped around, teeth clenched and shaking with anger. “How dare you interfere! You  _ know _ I was going to akumatize people who wanted to find Adrien. You  _ know _ that useless bodyguard was my first choice! You  _ know  _ you’ve made me fail again. And this time, it’s your fault!” 

As his voice grew in volume, his distance decreased. Nathalie winced as he began spitting his words in her face, the saliva and hot breaths marking her glasses. Her heart plummeted into her stomach as she realized what he was talking about. Somehow, she found her voice, testing to see how much he knew. “Y-You heard my conversation with him?” 

Hawkmoth stared at her with disgust. “I didn’t need to. I felt the emotions from him vanish suddenly this morning. When I went to see for myself, I saw you speaking with him. I don’t need to know what either of you said to know you’ve betrayed me. This is  _ your fault _ . Now we have to work even harder to find Adrien. His safety is on the line because of  _ you _ .”

_ He didn’t see Chat Noir, he didn’t see the conversation. He doesn’t know. He doesn’t know.  _ Nathalie blinked slowly to calm her nerves, attempting to prevent Gabriel from realizing she was hiding something. “Yes, sir.”

He just huffed and turned away from her again.

“What about Chloe? Wasn’t she a backup? Surely she’s distraught with his disappearance, too.” Nathalie winced in anticipation of another bad reaction. She’d had every intention of talking some sense into her boss right away, but something was telling her that wasn’t the best course of action. As she’d said earlier, he was becoming unhinged. If she outright opposed him, it might not end well…

No, she needed to be smart about this. Hawkmoth relied on manipulation for his schemes. Nathalie now had to do the same. 

“It seems Miss Bourgeois doesn’t care for my son as much as I thought she did. Her negative emotions vanished this morning as well. Remind me to find better friends for him once this whole debacle is over. That useless D.J. who hangs around him isn’t concerned, nor is that blogger girl. I thought I taught Adrien to be a better judge of character, but it seems I was wrong.” 

Nathalie remained silent. She wondered if Adrien had visited his friends this morning to put them at ease. After yesterday’s akuma, Chat Noir must’ve realized what Hawkmoth was doing and nipped it in the bud. She would’ve smiled at his ingenuity had she not been so focused on keeping up her compliant facade. 

“What’s our next move, then?”

Hawkmoth tilted his head slightly as he looked out the window at the darkening sky. “This is all Ladybug’s fault. She’s the one in charge, and Seeker said yesterday that she was the one who had taken him. Taken him from  _ me _ . Now it’s time I take something from her.”

A look of fear flashed over Nathalie’s face. Thankfully, Hawkmoth was looking away. “I’m afraid I don’t follow, sir.”

“I’ve tried schemes, manipulation, meticulous plans. None of it has worked. I just keep losing, and losing and  _ losing _ . Well, I’m done losing. Today will be my last attempt, because there will be no need after I succeed. Ladybug and Chat Noir are pathetic heroes, whom I’ve shown too much mercy. Not anymore. I’m going to exploit their weaknesses.”

Nathalie blinked her eyes a few times to calm the emotions pooling behind them. She’d never felt so threatened in Gabriel’s presence. “A-And what are their weaknesses?”

He smirked. “Each other.”

Nathalie supplied no response so he continued. 

“We’ve seen the extent of their emotional attachment to one another. If one falls, the other does.”

“Right. But each of them has been affected by akumas before and we still-” She caught herself before saying  _ lost _ given Hawkmoth’s sudden aversion to the term. There was no need to finish her sentence though, as the message was clear enough. 

“Each of them has been affected, yes. But we need to take it a step further.” He tilted his head in thought. “Chat Noir always throws himself in front of Ladybug. He’s predictable. And when that happens, there’s a moment of hesitation before Ladybug brings herself to attack again…”

“What are you going to do?” Nathalie knew the answer to the question even before she asked it. But that didn’t stop her from hoping she was wrong. 

“I need to extend that moment of weakness. If Chat Noir suffers for a longer period of time, Ladybug won’t be able to leave him on his own. That’s when I’ll strike.” Hawkmoth chuckled as a plan unravelled itself in his mind. Nathalie knew that noise too well. There had been so many plans over the months. Despite the constant failures, Gabriel’s confidence in himself had never wavered. Nathalie’s confidence in her boss, however...that was a different story. 

He clenched his fist together, staring at it as if he held the entirety of Paris in his palm. “What I need is an incredibly destructive akuma. One made from pure anger, hatred or pain. It’ll overwhelm them.”

Nathalie desperately tried to slow her heartbeat, but to no avail. The hastened sound throbbed in her ears. “How so?

“It’s a simple equation. The more emotional someone is, the more powerful akuma they’ll make.”

“But sir, where are you going to find someone with that level of emotion?”

“Tragedy happens every day, Nathalie. Someone will die and someone will mourn. It’ll be easy.” He turned around again to face his assistant. His eyes blazed with insanity and the grin he wore appeared to be stitched into his face. “All I have to do is make that insufferable cat  _ suffer _ and their miraculous will be mine at last.” He chuckled disturbingly at his own joke.

_ All he had to do was make his son suffer.  _ Hadn’t he already done enough of that?

He didn’t know Chat Noir’s identity. And maybe,  _ maybe _ knowing he was actively attempting to harm his own son would’ve quenched his rage. But learning Chat Noir’s identity and the secret Adrien had been harboring for months might also create something worse. That was something Nathalie was trying to avoid. How was she supposed to convince Gabriel to leave the heroes alone when they were the bane of his existence?

Keeping her facade was infinitely more difficult when Hawkmoth was staring through her. To Nathalie’s dismay, he caught her wavering confidence. He stepped forward and grabbed her arm roughly. “Or did you have a different idea?” His prying eyes reached into her soul, searching for disobedience. 

_ Think quickly, think quickly _

“I-it’s just that...we’ve tried that, sir.”

He remained perfectly still, simply lowering his voice. “Please, explain.”

“Chat Noir a-always takes hits for Ladybug. Yes, he’s predictable, but so is she. It fuels her determination and makes her stronger. I think we need a different tactic. Sir.”

His death grip on her arm released as he pondered her suggestion. He spun away from her, pacing casually as he thought. “A different tactic...a different tactic...Nathalie! You’re a genius!” He threw his hands up victoriously and chuckled slightly. “Of course! Ladybug is practical, Chat Noir is emotional. It’s obvious in their fighting styles. If Chat Noir takes the hit, Ladybug’s anger fuels her practicality. But, if Ladybug takes a hit…” He slowly turned and smiled at Nathalie. 

“...it fuels his emotions” Nathalie spoke, her voice barely raised above a whisper. 

“Ha! This is perfect. Today  _ will _ be their downfall. Chat Noir falls apart without his partner. Once she’s compromised, their little ‘team’ will collapse. And I’ll finally win.” His eyes flashed with amusement. 

It took all of Nathalie’s will power to stop her from shaking. Going after Ladybug as opposed to Chat Noir was an improvement, but still not  _ at all _ what she had been suggesting. Gabriel’s corrupted thoughts were becoming out of control. She tried desperately to appeal to whatever parental instinct he might have. “Sir, you do realize that they’re just children, right? They have parents somewhere who are worried about their safety, just as you worry about Adrien’s.”

Hawkmoth stilled again, the calm before the storm. When he finally spoke, a controlled whisper rattled within Nathalie. “I’m doing this _for_ Adrien.” He brought his eyes up to meet hers. “You know as well as I do he probably fled to Ladybug and Chat Noir when he ran away. That means _my_ _son_ trusts those heroes more than his own father! He doesn’t understand what I’m doing for him! He doesn’t understand what’s at stake! This is all for _him_! And if Ladybug and Chat Noir are the ones to suffer for Emilie’s sake, then _so be it_!” His breathing was ragged again before he took a few deep breaths and let the fury pass over him. 

Nathalie couldn’t compute a response. She just watched as the man composed himself back to a normal speaking voice. 

“Something seems off about you today.” He eyed her suspiciously. "Almost like...you're a little....out of control," pulling out his cane, he gently caressed the top of it. Inside was a single butterfly, fluttering within the walls of its purple prison. He released the insect and held out his hand for it to land on. Once it had, Hawkmoth clenched his fingers as dark energy appeared and corrupted the beautiful creature. 

Nathalie took a few steps back, hesitant of his motives. “S-sir? What-what are you doing?”

"Just taking a precaution. Don't worry. You know it doesn't hurt." The blackened butterfly fluttered peacefully towards the assistant, looking for any object to possess. Nathalie stumbled backward, waving her arms to prevent it from coming closer. She frantically attempted to calm her nerves, but there was too much to take in. At one point in her life, she thought she might love Gabriel Agreste. His devotion was unprecedented and he was capable of immense love, that much was obvious. 

But now she realized she’d mistaken his love for obsession. An obsession to meddle with things beyond his control and raise the dead. Gabriel might’ve believed he loved his son, but Nathalie knew different. He loved Adrien as a commodity, not as a child. As for herself? Gabriel appreciated Nathalie not as a person, but as a means of reaching his goal. Nothing more, nothing less. Hawkmoth might’ve been born out of a place of grief for his wife, but now it was about power. He was incapable of loving someone selflessly. 

Ironically, the wielder of the butterfly miraculous was emotionally crippled.  _ That _ much was obvious. 

Nathalie’s back slammed into the wall behind her. To her utter fear, the akuma dodged her hands and landed on her glasses, just like it had many, many times before. 

Except this time, there was a lack of consent. She felt Hawkmoth’s will extend into her mind and dominate her thoughts and feelings. No matter how much she tried to push him out, he forced his way in. Soon enough, she was his and she couldn’t fight back. 

Hawkmoth just smiled as he watched his assistant crumple to the ground, gripping her head. “You know you can’t fight it. All I’m asking of you is that you help me finish what I’ve - what  _ we’ve  _ started. Then I’ll let you go. I promise,  _ my dear Nathalie. _ ”

The woman’s head hung and her arms fell limply to her sides. A black cloud consumed her, creating a familiar red and black outfit, complete with a helmet that covered the majority of her face. “Welcome back, Catalyst. How kind of you to assist me today.” The akuma’s posture was defeated and broken, but she yielded to his will regardless. 

“Of course, Hawkmoth. Your wish is my command.”

Outside, the heavy clouds finally broke and it began to pour. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yooooooooo what????? Sorry for the shorter chapter. I'll probably do a second update to make up for it. 
> 
> Also, I put way less effort into the Gorilla's sign only because I have absolutely no idea what kind of grammar structure of LSF has and that's something I can't fake. So I just kinda skipped over it. But! Here are the links for the words I did describe:
> 
> http://www.sematos.eu/lsf-p-beaucoup-6311-en.html ← A lot  
> http://www.sematos.eu/lsf-p-r%C3%A9parer-6764-en.html ← Fix  
> http://www.sematos.eu/lsf-p-quel-7827-en.html ← What
> 
> As always, thank you so much for reading!!


	21. A Rainy Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha...what update schedule? 
> 
> Happy MLB Positivity Week!!!!!!! 
> 
> I'd like to spread positivity to all of my readers - this fic would actually be nothing without y'all! I'd also like to do a quick shoutout to everyone who's kudos or commented on this work. You guys have no idea how much it means to me. Especially Krazy_Kitty, TheApathy, Serenagold, and Dragonlady2015 who've commented on nearly every chapter. You all are literally my lifeblood. Thank you for constantly being amazing.

“Ugh, stupid rain is making everything more difficult than it needs to be.” Adrien mumbled angrily as he took his glasses off again and wiped tiny raindrops from it. He and Marinette were huddled closely together under a familiar large black umbrella as they walked down the wet Parisian streets. Adrien was dressed in his ‘civilian disguise’ with his black hoodie pulled tightly over his face. Marinette was wearing her own sweatshirt, pink with white flowers dappled across it. She looked up and saw his immensely displeased face as he watched the rain pour down around him. She chuckled at his comment.

“I’d just call it your bad luck. That, or the rain is your punishment for that stunt you pulled this morning.” She used her best bantering voice and looked over for a reaction, but Adrien just turned his head away. 

“I said I was sorry.”

 _Aaand_ her attempt at making light of the situation might’ve been just a little premature. She sighed and reached out for his hand. He happily wove his fingers in between hers, but still wouldn’t look at her. “Kitty, what happened doesn’t bother me. I just wish you’d woken me up for back up, or something. Who knows what could’ve happened if Hawkmoth caught you. I’m just...worried.”

“I hate it when people have to worry about me.” His mumbles were hard to hear over the pounding rain.

“Well, stop doing things to make us worry about you, and maybe we’ll stop worrying!” When he finally brought his eyes up to meet hers, she sent him an incredulous look and a smile. He just squeezed her hand in return and went back to watching the sidewalk in front of them. His steps were chaotic as he moved from any slight accumulation of water. She remembered Chat mentioning that the longer he had his miraculous, the more he disliked water in general. But he especially disliked rain and getting wet when he didn’t want to be.

Which meant right now was the perfect opportunity. 

Marinette chuckled and she slammed her foot into a deep puddle before Adrien could realize her scheme. The force sent a wave directly towards his leg. When it hit, Adrien let go of the umbrella and stumbled away, repelled by the sudden contact of water. Marinette’s plan quickly backfired as she was attacked from above by the thing that had once shielded her from the rain. It collapsed and folded around her as it hit her head. Adrien, who had stumbled into a trash can, watched the scene fold out. He chuckled slightly but when Marinette sheepishly peered out from underneath it, he burst out in a full bout of laughter.

Her embarrassed blush quickly turned to accusation. “Oh! So that’s how you decide to treat the person who took you in and fed you? I see how it is.”

Adrien got a hold of his laughter and managed out a retort. “What can I say? Cats hate getting wet, milady.”

Marinetted huffed and reopened the umbrella. But when Adrien wasn’t looking, she smiled. Just as a collapsing umbrella had made him laugh back then, it had made him laugh now. Her plan had worked perfectly. Adrien finally moved back over to her and slid his arm around her waist as he ducked under the cover. He took the handle from her hand and held it for the both of them.

“Well, cats might hate rain, but this ladybug loves it. Not only is it giving us good cover, but it’s refreshing. Don’t you think?”

The blonde just shook his head and smiled. With his best ‘come-back’ tone of voice he dished out “ _You’re_ refreshing.” They continued walking down their path. 

Marinette scrunched her face. “Was that a compliment or an insult?”

“Both.”

Marinette just puffed air out of her nose in replacement of a laugh. They fell into a comfortable silence after that until they arrived at their destination. Their footsteps came to a halt outside Master Fu’s Parlor. Adrien stepped out from underneath the umbrella, extending his arm to make sure Marinette was still covered. With his open hand, he tugged on the door and held it open for her. 

“What a gentleman,” Marinette teased as she walked past him. He just sent a smirk in return. 

After a few flights of stairs, the duo arrived in front of the familiar door. Marinette knocked and waited patiently for a response. Almost immediately, the door opened on its own, allowing the two to step through. Master Fu was seated in the corner again, right where they’d had their discussion the day before. 

_It had only been a day?_

Marinette sighed quietly to herself. She knew a lot could happen in 24 hours. After all, it took less time than that for her to officially become the savior of Paris. But _geez_ , yesterday had really put one day into perspective. 

“Welcome back, you two. I trust you had a restful evening?” Master Fu’s back was to the two teenagers but the level of confidence with which he spoke made it clear he had eyes in the back of his head. 

“Yes. Thank you, Master.” Marinette replied respectfully as Adrien laid the closed umbrella up against the wall next to the door. Then the two walked to the table in the corner and sat down in their same positions from the night before.

“And you, Adrien?” Now that Marinette could see the old man’s face, she noticed how skeptical it was. He knew something was up. 

“Well...more restful than previous nights?” His right hand reached up and pulled the wet hood off his head. On it’s way down, he scratched the back of his neck nervously. 

Master Fu smirked, knowingly. “Anything either of you would like to tell me?”

Both heroes grimaced physically and jumped into explanations of the multiple disasters that had taken place the day before. As they spoke, Marinette began to regret not making a list of things to talk to the guardian about. Turns out, there were a lot more concerns than she realized. 

“Well...my parents know I’m Ladybug-”

“And they know I’m Chat Noir-”

“And they kinda know who Hawkmoth is too?”

“Also, Mayura knows my identity now”

“Which means she probably told Hawkmoth-”

“Who’s officially reported me as missing-”

“But we haven’t told the police where Adrien is yet.”

“Should we? I don’t know if it’s safe, or what’s going to happen to father, or my mother…”

“But on the bright side, Adrien used Voyage twice in a row yesterday! Should he be able to do that…?”

“I probably shouldn’t be able to do that. Where can I get a pair of normal glasses? I mean, the Horse miraculous is cool and all but I need something a little less...magical.”

“I plan on talking to Rena Rogue and Carapace tonight to create a complete attack plan. I think it’s better if we do this confrontation thing sooner rather than later.”

“I also may have kind-a, sort-a, maybe-ish had a memory lapse of some sorts this morning?”

Marinette’s thoughts screeched to a halt suddenly at the last comment to leave Adrien’s mouth. She whipped her head over to look at him, mouth slightly ajar. “I’m sorry, what?”

Both her and Master Fu were looking at the blonde, their faces contorted with concern. As quickly as Marinette’s thoughts stopped, they began running again. Another memory lapse? What did that mean? When had it happened? What-

“When I first woke up this morning, I had no idea where I was. I wasn’t able to recall what had happened or why I was there. My first instinct was to leave and run away, but something else told me to go upstairs. That’s when I ran into your father. As soon as I saw his face, all my memories came rushing back. But it was a good couple of minutes where I didn’t remember what was happening. That-that’s not normal...is it?”

Marinette saw his hand twitch, tempted to reach up again and rub his neck. Unfortunately the poor boy had a horridly obvious nervous tick. Luckily, he had someone willing to be there and calm his nerves when it got out of hand. Marinette reached over gently and offered her hand to him. He took it without looking down and squeezed it for reassurance. 

“No, I don’t think I’d call anything about you two ‘normal’.” Master Fu sent a friendly smile and took a sip of his tea. Once he’d set his cup back down, he offered some to the two kids who both happily accepted. 

“But Master, if Ladybug used her cure to heal me, why is this still happening?” Adrien’s voice was laced with fear. 

“I’m afraid I don’t have a good answer for you. Just as your eyes have been permanently affected by Amnesia your mind might have as well. In all my years as guardian, I’ve never known someone to be under the effects of an akuma for as long as you have. There could be some unforeseen side effects. These are uncharted waters for us all."

Adrien’s shoulders deflated. “Great. I’m an oddity. That’s reassuring.”

Master Fu reached over and poured tea into Marientte’s cup, and then Adrien’s. “But, it may ease your mind to know that every Ladybug and Black Cat I’ve heard of have been unique in their own ways. Each one experienced a problem no one had before and most overcame it. I have complete faith in the two of you.”

Marinette tried not to focus on the operative word _most_. She pulled a sheet of optimism over her doubtful thoughts and tried to think positively. “No, Master Fu is right. We’re not normal; we never were. But being different or unique is a good thing, Chaton. Besides, some part of you knew to come look for me, right?”

“I-I think so.”

She sent him back a reassuring smile and squeezed his hand for extra emphasis. “Then we’re good. Not perfect, and maybe not amazing. But good. And that’s a great place to start.” He squeezed back in lieu of a verbal reply.

“Now, shall we address some of the other matters you mentioned? For instance, Mayura and Hawkmoth know who you are?” If Marinette hadn’t had multiple meetings and lessons with Master Fu prior to today, she would’ve missed the underlying tones of frustration and stress woven through his voice. She wouldn’t call it anger...but he definitely wasn’t happy about it. 

“I’m sorry, Master. It’s my fault. I made a mistake that could come back to hurt any of us. I’m so sorry.”

“Chat Noir, mistakes happen. But sometimes they don’t. I know there was a reason behind what you did. Although you only recognize the negative outcomes, there are positives as well that we should consider. Now, what happened?”

Adrien launched into his explanation regarding Chloe and his Bodyguard. He explained that the guilt of them worrying about him was too much. They deserved to know he was okay, at the very least. Marinette nodded along with him. “I think you made the right choice.” She provided once he was done. 

Adrien looked up at her, shocked and confused. “I have to say I agree.” Master Fu’s voice sounded from across the table. “I believe everyone in this city recognizes how prone Chloe is to akumatizations. You very well might have prevented another one. An action that helps us greatly.”

“But Master, I-”

“Everything happens for a reason. Do you feel better knowing your father knows who you are?”

The blonde was silent for a moment, contemplating his answer. When he finally spoke up, a look of guilt flashed across his face. “I do.”

“I know how you feel, Adrien. My parents may not be Hawkmoth, but it’s so nice to finally have that weight off my chest after all these months.”

The Guardian had been holding his cup in his hands, relishing in the warmth it seeped into him. At the mention of Marinette’s parents however, he placed it down again. “Why don’t you two tell me everything that happened yesterday before we start planning? It seems like there’s a lot to discuss.”

And there was. 

Marinette began by explaining that Adrien somehow used Voyage twice and asked how it was possible. Master Fu’s answer was simple: the Ladybug and Black Cat Miraculous were the most powerful. In order to use it, the wielder must exert a certain level of effort. The other miraculous in the miracle box contained less power and thus asked less of its wielder. Adrien was so used to using his ring, that he was more than capable of using a lesser miraculous’s ability multiple times. 

Immediately, Marinette’s thoughts took off at the speed of light. If she and Adrien were capable of using a lesser ability at least twice that could easily give them an advantage when they finally faced Hawkmoth. Sure, he had Mayura and they were both adults, but the heroes had more. They had the two most powerful miraculous, the turtle, the fox and (hypothetically) whichever other ones they required. The voices in the room began to fade away as Marinette became lost in her mind, structuring a plan that would finally rid Paris of its pest. 

“Marinette?” Her head shot up when she’d heard her voice called. 

“Huh?”

Green eyes pried into hers. “Whatcha thinking about?”

She blushed slightly, embarrassed to be caught off guard during such an important conversation. “Sorry, I was thinking about ways we can defeat Hawkmoth. I guess I got a little lost in thought.”

“That’s the next step, though. I think we all recognize how dire the situation has become lately. For Adrien’s safety and the safety of Paris, we need to put an immediate stop to Hawkmoth’s actions.”

“I just...It’s such a huge task, I don’t even know where I should start.” Marinette put her head in her hands. There had always been an immense amount of pressure on her as Ladybug. That’s why she and Chat had been defensive for so long, they just didn’t have the energy to take the offensive and make attacks on their own. It was easy for Hawkmoth to send an akuma out into Paris, but it was much more difficult for the heroes to track down a single person. 

Now, Marinette knew exactly where he was. Unless he’d moved. The muscles around her eyes tensed and she fell back into thought. Gabriel knew his son knew he was Hawkmoth. He also probably knew that Adrien had gone to the heroes for help yesterday. Now that Chat’s identity had been revealed, Hawkmoth definitely knew that the heroes of Paris knew his identity. That means he’d probably moved and hid away somewhere. 

But what if he hadn’t? Would it be too suspicious for Gabriel Agreste to fall off the grid while his son was missing? Did that mean Hawkmoth hadn’t gone into hiding yet? Or, what if he had some _other_ secret lair-

“Marinette!”

Her eyes shot back up to her partner’s. 

“You’re not alone. The weight of the world isn’t falling on your shoulders. You have people to bear this burden with, okay? Let us help.”

It was a concept so foreign to the girl that she couldn’t comprehend it at first. Of course, she and Chat Noir were equals. But when it came to the plans, he almost always relied on her entirely. A part of her felt nervous and guilty at putting more weight on Adrien’s already burdened shoulders. The rest of her gasped in relief at the thought of taking some pressure off herself. 

“Marinette, you are the best Ladybug I’ve ever seen. You constantly exceed my expectations. But even the strongest of us need support from time to time. We’ll create a plan together. After all, you have plenty of allies.” Master Fu’s voice wielded so much confidence in her and Marinette couldn’t help but feel as though it was terribly misplaced.

“Of course, Rena and Carapace! Do you think we should include them in the planning process?” Marinette turned her head back and forth between Adrien and Fu, asking for both of their opinions.

Adrien responded first. “If they’re going to be fighting alongside us, I think they have a right to be there when we figure out what we’re getting ourselves into.”

Marinette nodded, biting her lip slightly. “You’re right. But should we meet here, or…? Master Fu, are you comfortable with revealing yourself to others?”

The old man stroked his beard in thought. “I think I’m a little too old to be actively participating in this fight. Feel free to run ideas past me, but you two are more than capable of succeeding on your own.” He looked directly at Marinette. “I trust you to make the right decisions. You will triumph over this evil.”

Marinette’s instinct was to push away the vow of certainty from the old man. But then she realized where he was coming from. Ladybug and Chat Noir were just teenagers, _troubled_ teenagers at that. And they’d already accomplished so much. They just needed one last push to finally finish this. A new fire burned within Marinette’s sky-blue eyes and she nodded determinedly to her mentor. 

“And you, Chat Noir,” Adrien turned his attention away from Marinette towards the old guardian. “As much as you need Ladybug, she needs you. I trust you to be there for your partner.”

“Yes, Master, of course. Thank you.”

“But there is one more matter I’d like to attend to,” The man’s eyes lingered on Adrien’s hesitantly. “Your mother.”

Although he hadn’t been moving previously, it was as if Adrien froze. Marinette could sense the sudden tension in his muscles. 

Master Fu continued without waiting for a response. “Do you know what caused her condition?”

The boy seemed to deflate. “I-I don’t. Father never spoke of it after she...disappeared one day.”

The Guardian’s eyes fell to the side, thinking. “I see. Do you know if your mother ever used a miraculous?”

Adrien’s face clenched in thought. “I...I don’t remember. I don’t think so? But...if Father had the butterfly and peacock miraculouses this whole time, then I suppose it’s possible."

Master Fu stroked his beard in thought. “I don’t want to give you false hope, but there may or may not be a way to reverse what’s happened to her if her ailment is caused by a miraculous. However, if the causes are natural, there is less we’ll be able to do.”

The blonde’s head dropped and he stared at his tea cup in front of him. “I understand. Thank you, Master.”

Marinette looked over at her partner and studied him for a few, long moments. The more she watched, the more the fire inside her grew. She was _angry_ . Angry for so many different reasons. Adrien was such a good person. He was kind, selfless and trusting. So then _why_ would all of this happen to him? No one deserved to have such an experience, least of all him. 

And Marinette hated the world for doing this to him. 

For a fraction of a second, Marinette understood Hawkmoth’s motives because she wanted to do anything to bring Emilie Agreste back into Adrien’s life. But that’s where the similarities stopped. Marinette would never give up what she had for the chance to gain back something she’d lost. Her hand was still wrapped in Adrien’s and she gave one final, tight squeeze. 

“I promise, I’ll do everything in my power to help bring your mom back.” He smiled gratefully in return. Although Marinette would never vocalize it, she sent him another message with her eyes. _But if she’s gone, I’ll be there for you. I’ll never abandon you_. 

Thankfully, he seemed to understand. 

“I think that’s your cue to leave.” Master Fu spoke without looking up from his tea. 

“Wha-?” Marinette questioned, but was cut off. The entire building around them began shaking as though a powerful earthquake ripped through the center of Paris. The tea pot and cups shuddered off the table and shattered on the ground. In an instant, Marinette and Adrien were on their feet, ready for anything. 

They ran to the small doors facing the street and saw massive vines snaking their way through the city. The plants burst from the ground, cracking the cement and reaching up towards the sun. People screamed, running for cover, but very few made it. 

Smaller vines and branches extended from the larger ones, impaling people through the abdomen. Instantly, they transformed into what looked like a hedge version of themselves. Within seconds, it looked like a professional gardener had made his way through the streets, trimming bushes into the shapes of terrified civilians. 

It was horrifying. 

Marinette and Adrien shared a single look and both immediately willed their transformations over them. Chat Noir reached to open the window, but a hand grabbed his wrist and stopped him. Master Fu looked up at both heroes sadly. 

“Please, be careful.”

They both wordless nodded before throwing themselves into the midst of danger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter is about to be lit.
> 
> Feel free to find me on Tumblr @constantconfusion14!


	22. Catastrophic

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Buckle your seatbelts, everyone! It's time for a wild ride. I tried to make most of my chapters about 3,000-3,500 words but this one's 6,600ish because I just really didn't feel like splitting it. This also took me literally forever to write, but I hope you all like the end result!
> 
> While writing, I was listening to Panic! At The Disco's "Hurricane" but for the end of it, I think Halsey's "Control" fits really nicely (just in case anyone wanted some mood music). Enjoy chapter 22!
> 
> Warning: There's use of strong language throughout this chapter

“Is Hawkmoth on _steroids_ or something?? This is ridiculous!” Carapace’s winded whisper echoed through the forest that once was Paris. Marinette had to agree with him.

Within minutes of the first signs of the akuma, the streets had become overflowing with plants. Trees that probably shouldn’t have been able to grow in France’s climate were reaching high into the sky, creating a canopy over the green, mossy buildings. The rain still poured from the dark sky above, dripping off the new foliage like a rainforest. Ladybug had seen Siren flood the entire city and Stormy Weather change the seasons, but this was a little insane. 

The worst part was that the plants were alive and sentient, constantly attacking anything and everything that moved past them. After narrowly avoiding multiple skirmishes, the four heroes realized sneaking quietly was a better option until they found what they were looking for. Already, they were all drenched in sweat, having been fighting defensively for what seemed like forever. Even with her enhanced physical abilities, Ladybug was running on fumes. Luckily, the fumes were just enough to keep her alive. Other Parisians….weren’t so fortunate. 

Marinette must’ve seen hundreds of people transformed into plants before her eyes. No matter how hard she tried to save them, the sharp vines were just too fast. At the beginning of the fight, screams were heard constantly as leaves and branches replaced skin and bone. Now, it was almost completely silent, the majority of the city already having been turned. A cry only rang out once every couple of minutes when another poor soul was caught by the malicious vegetation.

Ladybug stood in the center of the other three heroes, each facing outward in a different direction. They quickly discovered the vines seemed to specifically target her over the others. Thus she was placed inside the ‘protection triangle’ as Chat had dubbed it, where someone was covering all of her blind spots and in return she looked out for all of them.

Chat was at the point of the triangle, tiptoeing forward as the others followed behind him, walking at an awkward backwards angle. “Whatever’s going on, it’s not good. We need to find this akuma and put an end to this as quickly as possible,” Ladybug used a hushed voice as she addressed the others, terrified that the plants might hear her speaking. 

The four moved as one unit at a painfully slow pace, stepping over vines and ferns that continued popping up from the cement below. The longer it went on, the more difficult it was to find a clear walking path. And a more obscured path meant there was a higher chance of being noticed by a killer plant. 

Ladybug held in a sigh but allowed herself to roll her eyes. _Pfft. Killer plant._ There was already so much going on in her life. Did she really need to add _this_ to the ever-growing list of ridiculous things that shouldn’t have happened, but did?

Rena Rogue’s whisper-yell brought Ladybug back to the present. “Agreed: the sooner this is over the better. But it's been like, an hour, and I haven’t even _seen_ the akuma yet.” The fox heroine kept fiddling with her flute, moving her fingers across the holes as if playing an unheard song. None of them had used their abilities yet, waiting until they actually met their opponent before pulling out the big guns. 

“Yeah, I’m not too _frond_ of this battle so far.” The pun sounded out of place with Chat’s angry and frustrated voice. Ladybug silently groaned and the group fell back into silence, cautiously making their way down the disappearing street. 

At some point, a flash of yellow from above caught Marinette’s attention. She moved her head up slowly to see the one person she didn’t expect. Chloe Bourgeois stood on what appeared to be a balcony of some-sort. Which meant the wall of vines they were passing must’ve been the Le Grand Paris. Marinette tried not to get lost in how different it looked, nearly unrecognizable. 

Ladybug came to a halt suddenly, almost causing the two heroes behind her to ram into her back. She reached out and grabbed Chat’s arm, forcing him to stop. With her other hand, she pointed up. Chloe looked down at the four of them and for once didn’t open her mouth to speak. Instead, she moved her pointer finger through the air like a bee buzzing around. The message was understandable: _I can help you as Queen Bee_. 

Sadly, Ladybug shook her head in response. There was _no way_ she’d be able to find her way back to Master Fu’s parlor to get another miraculous. Even if she could, there was a chance Fu himself had been transformed and wouldn’t be able to open the miracle box. It was by pure dumb luck that Rena and Carapace had held on to theirs and were able to help Ladybug and Chat. But from the perspective of Chloe, the whole thing probably didn’t look too good. 

Not being able to yell and verbally communicate the issues to Chloe was proving to be difficult, but Ladybug didn’t have much of an option other than to move on. The faster this was all over, the sooner she’d be able to find Chloe herself and explain the severity of everything. Next to her, Chat moved his hands in multiple, fast movements. _Was he using sign language to Chloe?_

Ladybug raised her eyes at him and looked back up at the girl on the balcony. Chloe looked thoroughly confused as if Chat’s communication had gone right over her head. Instead, she pointed at Chat and slowly dragged her finger across her throat. _You’re dead_. 

“Ok, well, I did by best.” He whispered to Ladybug. “But we’ll have to talk to her later tho-”

An ear-splitting scream ripped through the air only to be cut off seconds later. All four heroes jumped from the sudden noise and bumped into each other. Carapace’s foot snagged a vine he couldn’t hope to see and tumbled forwards into Ladybug, who stumbled into Chat. All three heroes went down before they could catch themselves and instantly found themselves tangled in vicious vines. 

“ _Shit!_ ” Carapace’s voice shot up an octave as a thick vine shot towards him, aiming directly for his heart. Rena stepped in front of him and knocked the plant away with her flute. She quickly turned around and shoved the instrument inside the vines that covered Carapace. Rena pried the flute, using it like a lever to create a larger gap between the plant and her boyfriend. Carapace took advantage of the space and wiggled his way out. Once free, he slammed his shield into the vine, cutting it off from its source. It fell uselessly to the street.

Chat hissed as the plants flipped him upside down, suspending him five meters in the air by his ankle. A tendril stabbed at him, but he swayed to the side causing it to narrowly miss his shoulder. It kept attacking and missing until Chat finally reached up and clawed at the vine around his foot, breaking it apart enough to drop him back to the forest floor below. 

Ladybug wasn’t so lucky. As soon as she crashed into the ground, the ferns grew madly until she was wrapped in a horrible plant-cocoon. Vines grabbed her wrist and ankles, pinning her down and rendering her motionless. The fern leaves moved closer and grew thicker, threatening to asphyxiate her. _Could she even suffocate via plant? Didn’t they produce oxygen?_ The thought was answered with a definite _yes_ as more leaves covered her face directly, blocking all of her airways. Seconds became hours as her lungs begged for air. Her vision began to falter and for a second she tried to chuckle at the lameness of her death. 

But then she heard an infuriated yell and light broke through the thick cover of plants surrounding her. Chat’s claws pierced the leaves and ripped them to shreds. He broke the restrictions on her arms and Ladybug quickly reached up to pull the ferns off her face. Cold air rushed into her body and she gasped as Chat picked her up from the ground and held her in his arms, bridal style. She reached her arms up around his neck and held on tightly. Stems and vines continued aggressively reaching for the duo. So Chat ran, forgetting about Chloe behind them. 

Ladybug’s vision slowly blurred back to clarity and she saw Rena Rogue and Carapace following them at a sprinting pace. The sudden movements were definitely _not_ a well executed sneak-plan and the heroes were desperately batting at the plants around them as each one tried to strike. Having no free hands, Chat’s only option was to dodge. He jumped and ducked constantly all while holding Ladybug closely to his chest. 

Eventually, he misstepped and sent both heroes sprawling. Ladybug unceremoniously smashed into the ground but strangely, where cement should’ve been, there was thick, rich dirt. Ladybug sat up and stared down at the soil, reaching down and scooping up a handful. There was no trace of the blacktop that used to be here. _How was that possible? Was Hawkmoth really that powerful?_

An orange hand was suddenly under her arm and Ladybug let Rena pull her to her feet. Immediately, the two fell into a defensive position. But there was no more movement. For the first time since the battle began, the plants willingly remained motionless.

“W-why aren’t they attacking?” Rena whispered. 

Ladybug shook her head in response. “I don’t know.” She looked out to survey their surroundings. Although the trees created a thick canopy over them, they appeared to be in a clearing of some sort. The foliage was heavy on the ground, but with the sudden lack of buildings for moss to grow on, the air was much more open. Rain even fell on them, breaking through the canopy and plastering Ladybug’s flyaway hairs to her face.

The clearing was circular, as if a certain force prevented the larger flora from growing inside of this specific area. As Ladybug continued scanning her eyes around, she noticed a massive plant in the center of the clearing. With a spherical shape, it looked like an enormous rubber band ball. Vines twisted and snaked around the outside, clearly protecting whatever was hidden inside. 

Chat and Carapace quietly came up and stood behind the girls. “Dudes, is that the Arc de Triomphe?!” Carapace wondered aloud. 

Chat pulled his baton out, holding it in front of his body defensively. “Not anymore, it’s not.”

Ladybug looked behind her at the flora-filled street. They’d barely gotten out of there as it was, there was no way they could go back. Besides, going back the way they came would mean facing the countless hedge-people again. Ladybug tried to think of anything else as she saw each person’s face frozen with fear. There were just _so_ many victims this time and she couldn’t keep her confidence up forever. Another scream broke through the silence and quickly died. Ladybug shut her eyes and grimaced as another innocent person suffered because of Hawkmoth. Paris was relying on _her_ cure to fix everything. Her _limited_ cure. 

No, she didn’t have time to think like that right now. 

Marinette snapped her head forward again and took a step towards the mass in the center of the clearing. “We haven’t seen the akumatized person yet. I’m willing to bet they're hanging out in there. Let’s make sure we’re prepared. Lucky Charm!” Red and white energy swirled above her for an instant and gave her-

“Is this a boomerang?” She questioned aloud. This was the first time the Lucky Charm had ever been an actual weapon.

Ladybug looked around, seeing nothing light up. She clipped the object to her waist. “Ok, but how is it going to help us?” Rena reasoned from behind her. 

Marientte answered honestly. “I don’t know...yet. For now, let’s focus on finding our target.”

Carapace hummed in agreement. “I say we go in groups: two and two. One group comes from the front and the other from the back. We’ll have a higher chance of gaining a surprise advantage.

“Smart, but I don’t like the idea of splitting up. We all saw how the plants are more violent towards Ladybug. We can’t leave her vulnerable.” Chat’s typically joking voice was dead serious.

Ladybug raised her eyebrow at her partner. “First off, I’m more than capable of defending myself, thank you very much. That being said, I think you’re right. As much as I hate to admit it, we’re going to need my cure to restore the city. If I get struck and my earrings are turned to leaves…”

“Then Paris is stuck like this.” Rena finished for her. 

Silent nods were the only necessary answers. The quartet instinctively fell back into their positions from earlier, Chat Noir, Carapace and Rena Rogue watching each others’ backs as Ladybug guided them forward from the center of the triangle. They moved with less caution and more purpose, making their way towards the mossy, plant covered Arc. 

They were about half way there when Chat stopped, holding his arms out to cease all movement from the others. “Wait. Something’s wron-”

 _“Ladybug…”_ A chilling voice literally vibrated its way through the heroine. Ladybug’s blood grew cold and she shivered from the bodiless voice that echoed around her. 

“Alright. Cool. That’s not terrifying or anything.” Carapace held his shield in front of his chest. 

“Wait, look at how the plants are moving.” Rena took a step back, her heels centimeters away from stepping on Ladybug’s toes. But Marinette couldn’t blame her. The ferns and vines whipped around viciously though no wind rushed through the air. Eventually, leaves flew off their stems and vines were pulled backwards by an unseen force. Pieces of plants landed on the mass of foliage resting underneath the Arc de Triomphe. 

_“Ladybug…”_ the voice sounded again, like a mother quietly whispering as she crept through her own house trying to find her children as they played hide and seek. And although Marinette suddenly felt as vulnerable as a toddler, she knew this wasn’t a fun little game. This was an incredibly powerful akuma and Ladybug had a huge target painted on her back. 

The spotted heroine fell to a defensive position immediately, pulling her yo-yo out and whipping it in front of her like a shield. Chat copied her movements with his staff and Carapace held his shield up higher, protecting both him and whoever stood behind. 

As more and more organic debris flew towards the mass in the center, it began to look less like a sphere and more humanoid. It grew to be nearly 25 meters tall and took up a good half of the open space within the Arc. To Ladybug’s absolute dismay, it turned around. Though the speed was slow, it was much faster than a being of that size should’ve been able to move with. 

As it faced the four heroes, Ladybug got a full view of the monster. Entire tree trunks acted as the legs, sturdy and unmoveable. Bushes and shrubs created the abdomen, shifting and growing constantly. Vines fell down from the monster’s arms and extended like fingers reaching towards the heroes. More, thicker vines snaked up to form the neck and the giant sphere on top became the head with plain, white flowers dappled across where the face should’ve been. A simplistic smiley-face was formed and it unnerved Marinette greatly. 

“Ohhhhh ho-ho, what the _fuck_ is _that??_ ” Marinette’s voice shuddered like flimsy plexiglass, whispering to herself more than others. More white flowers appeared on the face, widening the smile to an uncomfortable degree. 

The voice spoke again, but the form of vegetation gave no indication it was speaking. The words must’ve originated from the akumatized person (Ladybug was now _definitely_ convinced they were hidden in the plants within the monster) but there was no pinpoint-able source. It was as if the sound waves were simply carried through the air, having come from everywhere yet nowhere at the same time. _“Ladybug...you’ve finally come to play with me!”_

The awful smile it wore remained stagnant as it threw one of its arms out towards the heroes, attempting to sweep them off the very ground they stood on. “Yeah... _nope_!” Chat whipped around, and ran in the other direction, snatching Ladybug’s hand as he did so. The others followed suit, retreating from the oversized attack heading their way. But there was no way they were going to outrun it. The arm was far too long and even if they did manage to get far enough away, there was no doubt the vines could simply grow more and grab them easily. 

“Get down!” Ladybug screamed as she yanked on Chat’s arm, pulling him back into the ground. At the same time, Marinette’s legs by some absolute _miracle_ dropped into the splits, effectively tripping both Rena Rogue and Carapace. Like some contortionist, Ladybug leaned her body forward and into the soil beneath her just as the arm of the monster swung over them, narrowly missing her head. 

She popped back up immediately, just in time to see the other arm coming directly at them from above. “Carapace!” Ladybug screamed.

“Shellter!” A green force field appeared above them seconds before the vines made contact. The heroes winced at the force that should’ve hit them. The shelter cracked slightly from the impact. 

_“Ladybug...come out to play and I’ll leave your friends alone. It’s only you I want.”_

Marinette suddenly wished Carapace’s Shellter could block out noise too. This voice was going to haunt her nightmares for sure. 

“What did you do to piss this person off so much?” Chat questioned. He crouched so closely to Ladybug that she could practically hear his heart beating wildly in his chest. 

She looked back up at the monster’s arm as it slammed against the Shellter again. “That’s the thing, I have no idea. At least Seeker made sense. Hawkmoth was looking for Adrien. But this? I don’t know. What’s his angle?”

“Maybe he’s just angry? He probably knows by now that you have Adrien, whether Seeker confirmed that or it’s just his hunch. Maybe he’s taking his anger out on you, because you’re more or less the leader of the heroes. No offense, Chat Noir.” Leave it to Alya to create a sturdy theory at the most unlikely of times. 

Chat waved her off. “None taken.”

“Whatever his deal is, we’ve gotta figure out a new plan. I can’t hold this forever.” Carapace’s voice was strained with effort as he braced his shield against the attacks. 

Marinette began rubbing her thumbs against her other fingers, forcing her mind to move faster than it wanted to. “Ok, ok, okay...so...so, so, so….” She pinched her eyes closed and tightened her face, hoping her tense muscles somehow assist her failing creativity. Suddenly, her eyes popped back open. “The akuma’s after me, right? We’ll just do what we did yesterday!”

“Um...nothing against your style, my lady, but I don’t think I can pull off your pigtails.” Chat deadpanned. 

“What??” Ladybug gave him the 'why-are-you-like-this'look briefly but immediately got back to the task on hand. “Rena, I need you to make an illusion of me. It’ll act as our distraction as we sneak around and try to figure out how to take this thing down from behind. Can you do that?”

Rena pulled her flute to her lips and nodded determinedly. “Absolutely. Carapace? Whenever you’re ready.”

The turtle hero waited until the instant after the monster’s hand struck the forcefield again, leaving them the most time between attacks. Rena used the flash of light as a cover and played her melody. “Mirage!” She whispered as she tossed her illusion towards the monster. Then she hit the ground, hiding with the others beneath the ferns and vines.

They watched with bated breaths as the fake Ladybug strolled closer to the figure. “Fine! I’ll take your deal, but only if you promise to leave the others out of this!” Rena whispered to no one in particular as her illusion loudly yelled her words to her opponent. Ladybug found herself biting her lip as she waited for the answer.

It never came. 

Instead, the smile of white flowers drooped into a frown. The monster's head tilted until it slipped off and splattered to the ground. The vines, bushes, shrubs and trees all followed suit and crashed to the earth beneath it, sending a literal wave of vegetation towards the heroes. 

Ladybug jumped to her feet. “It didn’t work, we need to go, _now!_ ” 

_“Silly fox, you think you can trick me?”_ The voice whipped around them like a cold front. Out of nowhere, a tendril shot up from the ground, striking Rena Rogue directly through her chest. She transformed into a hedge of leaves immediately. 

“ _NO!”_ Carapace surged forward toward his girlfriend, but more vines entangled him. They circled around his body, squeezing him tightly like a boa constrictor. His shield fell to the ground. 

Ladybug watched, terrified as half of her team was taken out in the blink of an eye. Chat shielded her with his body as the wave washed over them, bringing wonderful scents of herbs, flowers and grass with it. The pleasantry of it was awfully misplaced. 

The wave restructured itself into a humanoid figure 10 meters away from the two remaining heroes. Surprisingly, Chat was totally unharmed despite being her human shield. 

_“Tsk, tsk Chat Noir.”_ The voice chided him like a child. _“You’re too predictable. And that will be your downfall.”_

Ladybug was barely able to make out the look of confusion on his face before a vine wrapped itself around his ankle and dragged him towards the monster at a breakneck speed. Within seconds, he was dangling upside down, directly underneath what should’ve been the monster’s hand. The white flowers on its face rearranged themselves back into a terrifying, simplistic smile. 

Cold. She was suddenly terribly cold. 

Where there were once four, there now was one. Ladybug knew she wasn’t helpless. She’d taken down akumas nearly single handedly on multiple occasions. But nothing was like it had been before. And suddenly Marinette was left alone, facing down an awful beast as her friends were literally ripped away from her. Her blood turned to ice as the lack of Chat’s body heat truly began to hit her. 

Was this Hawkmoth’s plan? To take away all of Ladybug’s allies and forcefully kidnap his son back? Gabriel knew that Adrien was Chat Noir. And now Hawkmoth had Chat in his clutches. Ladybug had failed to protect him. She’d failed to protect the person she loved more than anyone. 

A freezing fury burned inside of her. She glared up at the akuma and screamed at them. ““Leave him alone, Hawkmoth!” She grabbed her yo-yo and threw it towards the monster, only for more vines to knock its string out of the way. It clamored uselessly to the forest floor

The voice ripped its way through Marinette’s ears once more. “ _You think I want this mangy cat? No, no, Ladybug. I’ve already told you, Hawkmoth wants you this time. After all you’ve put him through, it’s finally time for you to get what’s coming to you. The only thing I’m doing to your precious kitty is giving him the best seat in the house._ ”

“..Don’...hurt...her..” Carapace strangled out as the plants continued constricting against him.

The voice chuckled and the vines shook Carapace like a child shaking a fish in a bag they’d won from a carnival game. “ _Hurt her…? No, I don’t cause pain. I simply want to give Ladybug the gift of life. I want her to join my garden of eternity. You see, my plants can live forever. There’s no such thing as death here. You should be grateful I want to share such a gift with you.”_

“Ladybug!” Chat screamed as the vines continued wrapping up his body, pinning his arms to his chest. His tone was filled with concern for her rather than himself. Even though it was typical of him to put his lady before anyone else, Ladybug knew that he was right this time. For some reason, this akuma wanted her in particular. Now that the others were out of the way, she was much more vulnerable. 

But not completely. She was Paris’s heroine, afterall. And that title was earned. 

She pulled her yo-yo back to her and created a spinning shield once more. In her other hand, she held her boomerang. Although it was covered in black and red polka dots, Ladybug could feel the cool metal through her gloves. The steel shined reflectively, glistening with rain as the sky drenched everything. “If it’s me you want, then come and get me! Stop hiding behind your plants like a coward!” Even though her voice wavered, the threat sounded honest and _almost_ intimidating. The form of plants just stalked closer to her. Laughter whipped around the clearing making Ladybug’s skin crawl. 

Just as the vines on Chat began reaching for his face, the monster that held him seemed to collapse in on itself suddenly. The cat hero yelped loudly as he was buried in a thicket. Likewise, Carapace was dropped to the ground in a crumpled heap, gasping to breathe again. A surge like an electric pulse shot through the foliage on the ground again, causing it to blow in the wind like a ripple extending out from a stone thrown in a pond. Ladybug braced herself as the wave washed over her again, leaving her surprisingly unharmed. She moved her eyes across the scene in front of her searching for any change that may indicate the akuma’s presence as the laughter echoed around her. She raised her weapons again.

But then the laughter stopped.

“ _P_ _oor, clueless Ladybug. I’m not hiding behind the plants. I_ am _the plants!”_ The voice was suddenly isolated, directly behind her. The only chance Ladybug had to look at her attacker was in the reflective surface of the boomerang. She saw a smaller form of the monster built from ferns and vines standing just centimeters behind her. The flowers shifted to create the same uncomfortable smile on its face. Ladybug knew the akuma was smiling cruelly at her. 

There was no time to react, move or even try to avoid what was about to happen. It was as if the world slowed to a halt as Ladybug accepted what was coming. She barely heard the sound of footsteps running towards her, crying her name. Ladybug could only focus on the akuma’s face and their lack of mercy. The figure thrust their hand out straight towards Ladybug’s abdomen, a cowardly act to attack from behind. A vine reached out for her heart, to claim the savior of Paris for their own. 

At the last millisecond, a blonde hero slammed into Ladybug’s side, sending the heroine crashing to the ground. Marinette looked up just as the pointed vine stabbed Chloe Bourgeois through the chest. She looked down at Ladybug as her body became nothing more than sticks and leaves. 

Marinette instantly felt like she was going to puke. “no...” She choked out. _Where had she come from??? Why was this happening to yet another innocent person??_

Chloe just looked back at her sadly. “K-keep Adrien safe.” The greenery enveloped her. 

“ _NO!”_ Another voice shrieked behind them. Marinette turned her head, noticing Chat Noir standing just meters away, shaking with anger. He screamed and launched himself towards the plant figure, calling for his Cataclysm as he drew nearer. Within seconds, he was on the akuma, slamming his fist down on them, causing the plants around them to rot and decay back into the ground. 

To Ladybug’s utter dismay, there was no one inside. The plants were just one small piece of the whole. Ladybug didn’t even realize more plants encasing her before it was too late. Arms grew out of nowhere, restraining her. She kicked and thrashed, but the figure held tightly to the point where it felt as though her ribs were shifting within her chest from the outside pressure. Branches wrapped around her throat, small leaves snaking up to her earring. A thick flower stem grew across her mouth, gagging her. The voice of the akuma began to blow around them again, impossible to pinpoint. 

“ _So foolish, so reckless. You act like a wild animal, Chat Noir!”_ Another vine materialized in front of Ladybug and the akuma laughed menacingly as she threatened to impale the heroine again. She just continued to use Ladybug’s death as a taunting method. It was a sick and disturbing game Hawkmoth was playing, but there was no way to act like anything other than a pawn at the moment. Ladybug looked at Chat, feeling helpless and incredibly scared. 

And that’s when she watched her partner break.

His green eyes began shining with a nauseating yet familiar blue light. His skin took on a similar hue as he screamed in frustration. His fingers cramped around his staff and he glared at the akuma with nothing but hate in his eyes. Marinette’s heart dropped into her stomach as she realized what he was about to do. 

“No no no no. No! CHAT! _DON’T!”_

“CATASTROPHIC CHAT NOIR!” The end of his staff slammed into the ground, impaling a few plants and crushing them to oblivion. That was just the beginning of the destruction.

Where his staff made contact acted as the epicenter, a fatal shockwave extending from it. Shadows extended from the point of impact, pouring over every imaginable surface. Whereas Ladybug’s Cure brought glimmering sounds of hope and relief, Chat’s Storm brought the sounds of carnage. Awful yowling and hissing filled the silent city as the shadows ran over everything, destroying anything the akuma had created. In the blink of an eye, all plants were obliterated. Every moss-covered building crumbled. The vines ceased to exist and the trees turned to ash. But with everything else went the people. The poor victims who’d been transformed crumbled with the rest of the flora. As the energy flowed over her, Ladybug remained unharmed, but her captor was instantly vaporized. Marinette couldn’t help but scream in horror as Chloe’s frozen form decayed right before her eyes. 

Standing in the eye of the storm, Ladybug looked up at Chat. His eyes were exploding with awful color, but strangely enough, it had transitioned from less of a bright blue to more of a turquoise. It was as if the green of his natural eyes was desperately trying to break through. But it wasn’t working. Veins of the color snaked around his eyes, appearing underneath his mask and crawling down his face. Pure hatred was etched into his scowl as he stared directly through Ladybug. The rain continued to pour.

This wasn’t him. Adrien said he’d never use his Catastrophic ability unless absolutely necessary. He hated death and needless destruction. He was filled with light, even on the worst of days. But it was as if the Amnesia serum had taken over his mind, causing him to react out of pure anger and desperation. 

As quickly as the storm appeared, it dissipated. Ladybug looked around at the city. It was unrecognizable as Paris and instead resembled a nuclear testing site. She bit her lip as tears pooled inside her eyes. 

“Dude…” Carapace still sat on the ground, eyes breaking from what he just witnessed.

Chat Noir removed his staff from the ground and stalked forward. His eyes remained unchanged. Ladybug panicked for a single instant, afraid he was coming after her in his corrupted state of mind. But he passed by her without a second thought. Ladybug turned around and followed his form with her eyes, looking to see what he was walking towards. 

Oh.

Oh _no._

She ran after him, reaching out and grabbing his wrist. He aggressively shrugged her off and kept walking forwards towards his target.

Without the plants to cover them, the akumatized girl sat on the ground in front of what used to be the Arc de Triomphe. She held her head, shaking away the discombobulation. She was clothed in a dress made of leaves and vines. Unlike the prior plant monsters, the girl’s almond skin could be seen clearly, giving her a very human appearance. A charm bracelet hung off her wrist and she gripped it dearly. Her eyes were a deep green and shined with grief. 

“I’m so sick of death and destruction!” She cried, yelling at Chat. “Please, just let there be life for once…” She pulled herself to her feet, seething with anger at the hero who’d just destroyed almost all of the life in the city.

Ladybug’s heart instantly broke for the girl. How _dare_ Hawkmoth prey on an emotion as raw as grief. How _dare_ he take advantage of someone suffering such a loss. Ladybug clenched her fists in anger, but also felt immense empathy for the girl. This wasn’t her fault. She was the victim. Poor Parisians were always the victims and it was Ladybug and Chat Noir’s job to save them. 

“I don’t care.” Adrien spoke emotionlessly from in front of her. Marinette’s eyes went wide. 

Leaving no time to react, Chat launched himself at the akumatized girl. He had her pinned in an instant and screamed at her. “ _I hate you! I hate you I hate you I hate you I HATE YOU I HATE YOU!”_ His voice morphed from something familiar to that of a complete stranger, as if someone else were speaking for him. Marinette had never heard such pure malice spill from someone. The tears in Ladybug’s eyes finally spilled down her mask as she was frozen in absolute terror by Chat’s horrific demeanor. The poor girl on the ground began crying out as Chat’s claw bit into her upper arms. Blue spit flew out of his mouth onto the girl’s face and she quivered beneath him.

Ladybug finally found her strength and rushed forward, ripping her partner off the victim. Chat kicked and fought against her, almost breaking free. But Carapace was suddenly at her side, effectively restraining Chat Noir. His eyes still flared turquoise and his skin appeared to be radioactive. 

“ _I'_ _LL KILL YOU, OLD MAN!! I SWEAR TO GOD I’LL FUCKING KILL YOU!”_ His shrieks echoed across the decimated Arc, echoing through the ruined plaza. The akuma shielded herself on the ground, curling into a tight ball. Like pulling a security blanket over her, she raised her arm and new vines appeared from the ground. They wrapped over her protectively. 

“Hold him!” Ladybug screamed at Carapace as she rushed forward towards the girl on the ground. She looked up at Ladybug with fear as she gripped her bracelet protectively.

“ _I AM INFINITE DESTRUCTION! YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I’M CAPABLE OF! I’M GOING TO MAKE YOU SUFFER LIKE YOU’VE MADE HIM SUFFER!”_

Ladybug blocked out the screams, desperately trying to shake off the feeling that Chat wasn’t Chat right now. She spoke gently to the akuma victim on the ground. “Hey, hey, it’s okay. I just need to see your bracelet for a second, alright?” 

The girl looked back up, terrified of the heroes. “No, no, no. He’s g-going to hurt me.” The sad thing was, Ladybug didn’t know if she was talking about Hawkmoth or Chat Noir. More plants appeared, creating a tight sheet that covered the girl entirely. Almost immediately, the scene lit up with polka dots. 

_Alright, looks like we’re doing this the blunt way_. 

Ladybug pulled the boomerang off her hip again, moving it towards the girl in a slow, gentle motion. She aimed at the base of the plants, careful to only cut the vines and leaves, rather than the person beneath. 

“ _YOU’RE DEAD, YOU HEAR ME? YOU’RE DEAD! I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU!”_ Chat’s voice continued behind them, cracking through them like a whip. 

When the plants fell to the ground, cut off from the power that held them in place, the girl shrunk away from Ladybug again. Marinette used her best calming voice to regain control. “Hey, don’t listen to him. It’s just me and you, okay?” The girl looked at her, hopefully. 

Ladybug took advantage of the moment and snatched the bracelet. She ripped it off the girl’s wrist and it fell to the ground in multiple pieces. A tiny  _ red _ butterfly fluttered out as a similar colored cloud enveloped the girl, changing her back into her normal self. 

For a single moment, time stopped. Ladybug became entranced at the akuma’s deep wine color and how it stood out harshly against the dull sky behind it. A scarlet akuma could only mean one thing. No wonder Hawkmoth was so powerful.

The world surged back into motion and Marinette threw her yo-yo at the bug, purifying it quickly. She didn’t even bother to utter her typical saying before releasing a white butterfly back into the air. There were too many other things she needed to focus on. 

With very little gusto, she tossed her boomerang into the air, crying out her phrase only because it was necessary. “Miraculous Ladybug!” Instantly, the city was filled with red, pink and white energy. It whooshed around every square meter of Paris, repairing every broken building and reviving every lost person. Marinette closed her eyes tightly, imagining every person who needed her help. But there was no way to know for sure if she was completely successful or not. She just had to trust in the power of the miraculous. 

When she opened her eyes, hundreds of tourists and Parisians were around her, most holding umbrellas and staring at the superheroes in awe. _First things first._ Ladybug looked down at the woman in front of her, confused about her surroundings. “Ladybug?” The girl questioned with tears in her eyes. 

Marinette crouched down next to her. “Hey, it’s okay. You’re safe now, okay? You’re safe.”

The girl reached forward and hugged Ladybug without asking. “Thank you for saving me. I’m so sorry for anything I did.”

A man rushed forward. “Abelia!” he cried as he saw her and enveloped her in a hug. “Thank goodness you’re safe.” Content that the victim was now in good hands, Ladybug turned her attention back to her partners behind her. 

Carapace was supporting Chat as he slumped in his arms. Rena was standing next to the boys, confused and looking for some way to help. Both looked at Ladybug, panicked, confused, and absolutely terrified. Chloe was crouched in front of Chat, seemingly trying to feel for a pulse, but her hand kept moving around his neck as if she couldn’t remember where she was supposed to look. 

Ladybug rushed over to them. Chloe whipped her head up at the heroine. “I told you to keep him safe! Does this look like _safe_ to you?” Her voice broke with emotion. Marinette furrowed her eyebrows. She wasn’t even going to try and decipher what _that_ meant. 

Every single miraculous beeped out a warning, all at different intervals, creating a cacophony of sounds. 

Murmurs of “What’s wrong with Chat Noir?” began rippling through the crowd until it seemed everyone was staring at the heroes, putting Ladybug in the spotlight to fix everything immediately.

Too much. This was way, _way_ too much. 

Ladybug rushed over to the other heroes, forcefully pulling Chat’s shoulders against her own and resting his weight against her body. Although not really cognizant, Chat was kind of standing on his own and wrapped his arms around his partner, like a child instinctively clinging to his mother. She felt his muscles relax slightly at the familiar embrace. Ladybug pushed his head into her neck to avoid prying eyes and spoke to Rena and Carapace. Though she was physically shaking with either exhaustion, terror or anxiety (probably an awful mixture of all three), her voice was a blast of arctic water, dousing Rena and Carapace in freezing reality. “Meet me where we were yesterday in 10 minutes. And bring her.” She used her eyes to gesture to Chloe. 

“But-” Carapace started.

Ladybug secured her arm around Chat’s waist and threw her yo-yo, pulling the two heroes off into the distance faster than anyone could ask questions or follow them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wicked, bro. 
> 
> Important notice: After this chapter, I'm going to switch to updating every 2 weeks. The chapters might be longer because of the longer time between them, but I'm not sure tbh. I'm winging it just like I'm winging life hahaha. 
> 
> As always, thank you so much for reading!! I love all of my readers and would be nothing without you! <3
> 
> Feel free to find me on tumblr @constantconfusion14


	23. Little Talks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha...I'm not late, you're just early...
> 
> Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry times infinity for posting this a week late. I'm just awful at time management and that's my only excuse. 
> 
> Quick shoutout to Krazy_Kitty for catching a detail about the akuma in the last chapter. I actually went back and added a small paragraph about how the butterfly that fluttered out of the akumatized charm bracelet was actually a scarlet akuma (thus implying Scarlet Moth was the one who sent it). So, thanks Krazy_Kitty for being such a fantastic reader and helping me clarify that! I apologize if it wasn't a clear idea from the start.

Adrien was weightless. 

The world was far, far, beneath him and the rain gladly accepted his body into the clouds. Although he should’ve been freezing, a warmth pressed against him gave him enough body heat to be content. He wrapped his arms tighter around the source and relished in the feeling of absolute comfort. 

Too soon for his liking, his feet slammed down into something hard. He felt something cold come up and meet his back and an awful beeping sound was _really_ making its presence known. Each chiming sound seemed to rip him farther away from the weightless comfort he’d been lost in a few moments ago. Slowly, he became aware of just how exhausted he was. It felt like he was holding on to something that was draining him of all his strength. _Well, that’s gotta stop._

As soon as he mentally released the leech, a bright flash of green appeared outside his eyelids. He slowly opened them in curiosity. But instead of green, he saw pink. Blinking through the raindrops sticking to his glasses, he saw a girl kneeling in front of him, her hand resting on his shoulder. She was winded, shaking and absolutely soaked. Her dark hair was pinned to her face from the rain and the hoodie she wore drooped with water. 

She was stunningly beautiful. 

“Ma-Marinette?” Somehow, Adrien knew that was right. 

“Oh thank _goodness_. You remember me? Do you remember what happened?” Her voice wavered like she was barely holding it together. 

“How could I forget someone like you…?” He slurred out and accompanied it with a lovesick smile, fully expecting her to return it. Because in her presence, Adrien was feeling nothing but affection and warmth and safety. Surely, she felt the same way. 

Instead, her face tightened up and tears began to mix with the rain streaking down her face. Her mouth split open in a pained sob and she threw herself against Adrien’s chest. Her tiny fists grasped handfuls of his soaking sweatshirt as she cried into his shoulder. 

Oh no. He’d _definitely_ read the mood incorrectly.

Instinctively, his hands reached up and cradled her against him. “Hey, hey, hey it’s okay. What’s going on, Marinette? What happened?” Although many details were fuzzy, the girl's sudden breakdown was sobering him up incredibly. The longer he held her, the more he remembered. Pieces started falling into place and the world slowly shifted from a relaxing ignorance to an expensive awareness. Expensive because...well, it appeared that getting to this point had cost him a lot. 

“I thought I’d lost you. _Again_. And I just don’t know what to do! I was so scared and everyone always looks to me for the plans and the solutions but I just _can’t anymore!_ ” Her voice crescendoed to the point where she was almost screaming into his neck. “It’s just too much. It’s too much! And I just really needed you and you were _gone_ and I’m so sorry that I can’t fix you because I’m not strong enough and I-I-I-” 

Adrien just continued stroking her back. He couldn’t think of anything to say, so he just let her cry. She curled into him and he held her tightly. After a while, she seemed to calm down a little and he tried to find the right words to comfort her. 

“Hey, Mari,” Had he ever called her 'Mari' before? He couldn’t remember. The nickname just flowed off his tongue naturally. “I may not be completely caught up to speed, but things seem pretty messed up right now.” She nodded against his shoulder. “And I’m sorry that I was gone, but I’m not going to leave you again, okay? I’m always with you, milady. It’s us against the world. You don’t have to bear any burdens alone. I love you, Marinette.” Just like the nickname, the phrase rolled right off the tongue. 

Marinette pulled herself off Adrien’s shoulder and looked him in the eye. She was still shuddering, either from the cold rain or her cries, but she looked incredibly strong. Her furrowed eyebrows caused an adorable crease on her forehead and her lips were pulled into a cute, yet very concerned pout. Adrien was torn between laughing or crying over her expression, but before he could decide what to do, she leaned forward and crashed her lips into his.

It was messy and incredibly wet as the rain above drizzled down on them. He didn’t think he had any memories of this happening before, but it must've. It just felt so right. Unfortunately, almost as quickly as she had pounced on him, she pulled away. 

“That-that was…” Adrien was suddenly at a loss for words. 

Marinette brought her eyes back up to him. She pulled her hands up and held them to her chest in horror. “I’m sorry! I don’t know why I did that! I’m sorry - I shouldn’t have-”

Adrien lunged and took her captive with his lips again. Immediately, a specific memory flooded over him. He remembered a few years ago when his mother let him have a small sip of whiskey, just for the taste. As soon as it touched his tongue, Adrien nearly spat it out in disgust. But the feeling of it falling down his throat elicited nothing but warmth. It was as if his internal body temperature rose, starting at his core and expanding into each of his toes and fingers.

Kissing Marinette felt exactly like that.

Adrien was vaguely aware of a low rumble of thunder crackling above them as he lost himself in her taste. He felt her muscles relax and she fell into him immediately. Her lips against his stirred pure heat from his body, willing his arms to envelope her as if it were second nature. His arm acted of its own accord and cradled her head in his hand. Like a mind reader, she pushed harder against him, wrapping one arm around his neck and falling into his lap like it was made for her. Her other hand reached up and gently ran through his hair, invoking a strong sense of _home_. 

The storm around them electrified the air and Adrien was sure he was going to short-circuit at any second. But Marinette tasted like strawberries and smelled like vanilla and if Adrien pulled away now, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to forgive himself. 

They stayed like that for a while. 

Eventually, one of them had to come up for air. Marinette pulled away first, gasping like she’d been drowning. Adrien stared back at her as a shiver ran down his back. Her lips were a deep red from use, almost as if they were bruised. Rivulets of water poured down her face and she looked absolutely exhausted. But a bright pink flushed across her cheeks and she refused to meet his eyes. 

She pulled her hand off his chest and tugged on a piece of stray hair framing her face. Only then did she finally drag her eyes up to meet his. “I-I love you too, Adrien.” Her smile was infinite. 

But then she fell back into a state of panic. Her hands flew around her body as though she were attempting the Macarena from memory after only doing it once before. Her hands finally landed on the purse that hung off her side. Her phone emerged from the bag and the girl nearly screamed when she looked at the screen. “We’re gonna be late!”

Adrien tilted his head out of confusion. “Late for what?” He asked, but she wasn’t listening anymore. Marinette reached back into her bag and grabbed what appeared to be two energy bars. He recognized them after a few seconds. It was the same snack Ladybug always gave Chat Noir when they needed to recharge. Adrien hesitantly reached out and grabbed it. 

“Here, eat this quickly and then transform. We need to go to the others and plan and figure out what we’re doing and then probably go see Master Fu again to figure out what happened and oh _shoot_ my parents are probably flipping out I’m not used to having to check in with them after akuma attacks; well, I _am_ but as a civilian, not as Ladybug and-”

“Mari!” Adrien sat up straighter off the vent he was propped against. He reached out and put a hand on the girl’s shoulder. “Hey, hey. One thing at a time, okay? Remember what I just said? Let me bear some of the burden. We’ll get through this.”

Marinette pursed her lips and for a horrible moment Adrien thought she was going to cry again. She didn’t deserve to cry. She deserved nothing but absolute happiness and bliss. But then she nodded slowly, accepting his words as the truth. 

“Breathe with me.” Adrien spoke gently.

“But, we’re already behind schedule, Adrien!”

“Marinette, there is no schedule. Whoever’s waiting can wait a little longer. Ladybug deserves to have a few minutes to herself, okay? Now, just five deep breaths with me. Ready?” She closed her eyes as a response. 

They began breathing together. Adrien left his hands on her shoulders, letting his lungs fill with a comfortable amount of air. Then he released it, allowing his exhale to remove the worries from inside of him. He felt Marinette following his lead perfectly. Together they sat in the pouring rain, just letting their worries wash out of them.

Adrien opened his eyes, allowing himself to feel relaxed. His green eyes met her blue ones and he smiled at her. “Better?” He prompted. 

The veins on Marinette’s forehead popped and he could tell she was clenching her jaw. It hadn’t worked. A shudder flew through her body and she clenched her eyes shut as though she were bracing for an explosion to be set off directly in front of her. 

“Mari, what-”

“Adrien, you used your Catastrophic ability!” Her words flooded out like race cars zipping past the finish line on the final lap. And even though he’d just preached a breathing exercise, Adrien suddenly found himself unable to breathe. 

“I...I did... _what?_ ” 

*************

Nino twisted his wrist and looked at his phone for the twentieth time in five minutes. Ladybug and Chat Noir should’ve been here 15 minutes ago. To say he was worried about the duo was an understatement. 

Chloe spoke up suddenly. “They’re not gonna stand us up, are they? Because if they don’t show up soon, I’m gonna tell Daddy to make a few cuts in the next Hero’s Day budget. _No one_ stands me up.” Clearly, patience wasn’t one of her virtues. 

“Shut up, Chloe.” Alya grumbled from across from her. Nino looked up at his girlfriend. Her hazel eyes were blazing with fury, no doubt from Chloe’s stinging betrayal once they’d reached the warehouse. 

The two heroes had landed on the roof along with a soaking wet, complaining Chloe. Not wanting to be in the rain any longer, they’d found a way inside just in time for Rena Rogue and Carapace to de-transform. They’d snuck behind what appeared to be abandoned construction equipment, asking Chloe to stay away from them for just a few minutes. Incapable of following directions, she strolled around to where they were. Her jaw dropped when she saw who was behind the masks. 

Chloe’s voice brought Nino back to the present. “Excuse me?” The blonde retorted. “Just because you’re Rena Rogue doesn’t mean you can talk to me like that. I’m Queen Bee, the best-”

“Chloe, please, for the sake of my sanity just stop talking.” Nino buried his face in his hands. He needed Ladybug to show up ASAP to give him anything else to focus on. He’d already witnessed a screaming match between Alya and Chloe, stopped a fist fight and had to talk over multiple death threats. In terms of a mediator, Nino was a horrible one. 

Surprisingly, the girl went silent. Nino looked up to see her head tilted towards the ceiling. “I think I heard something.” Both of the other teenagers copied her movements to verify the sound of footsteps echoing on the rooftop.

Alya stood up and called out loudly “We’re inside!” Her frustrated tone bounced off the walls and echoed through the crumbling warehouse. Soon enough, Ladybug and Chat Noir snuck through the same entrance the others had used. 

As soon as he saw them fully, Nino’s heart rate spiked against his will. His skin began to crawl around his body and he was filled with feelings of absolute dread. He closed his eyes for a second and took a centering, shaking breath. Reacting to the heroes of Paris like that?? It was ridiculous. They’d never hurt anyone. 

Nino bit his lip slightly. Because that thought wasn’t exactly truthful anymore. Chat Noir _had_ hurt people. (Well, maybe not hurt, per say. But whatever his shadows did to the people-turned-plants certainly hadn’t been _healthy_ ). 

Nino took another breath and straightened his shoulders. Something else was at play, he was sure of it. Something outside of both Ladybug and Chat Noir’s control. After all these two had done for Paris, they deserved the benefit of the doubt. 

But it was still impossible to fully quell the anxiety flooding inside of him. 

Nino decided to focus on something else instead ( _anything_ else) and landed on their appearances. He furrowed his brows at the sight of both of them. Thankfully Chat Noir was walking on his own now instead of being carried by Ladybug. But her arm was still wrapped around his back and he looked less than steady. As the duo drew up to the others, Nino noticed Ladybug herself was trembling and her eyes were glowing red from crying. 

_Had something_ else _happened?_

Before anyone could react, Chloe launched herself from her seated position and tackled Chat in a massive bear hug. She kissed his face repeatedly and hugged him tightly. At first, he withdrew, clearly uncomfortable with the contact. But then he relaxed and patted her on the back. “Hey Chlo,” he spoke softly. 

Chloe stepped back from him then and nodded with a smile. Then she moved back to the broken chair she’d found sitting in the warehouse and sat back down. Nino moved his eyes between the two blondes. Was there something going on between them now, too?? Why did it look like Chloe had a secret?

Before Nino could dive further into his many, many confusing thoughts, Ladybug plopped down into a casual sitting position on the floor, pulling Chat down next to her. They looked dejectedly up at the others. Nino was sitting on a box, Alya on a crate and Chloe was in her chair. The two heroes were the only ones on the actual floor, but Ladybug seemed far past caring about that. “Welp,” she started. “Looks like you guys revealed yourselves to Chloe, huh?” Her voice sounded like chains dragging against concrete, but there was an obvious lack of disappointment or surprise. 

“More like she betrayed the single ounce of trust I put in her,” Alya spat at the blonde girl sitting across from her. Chloe made a noise of disgust and looked away.

Nino just sighed. “Yup. We’re all in great moods around here.” 

Ladybug rubbed her face roughly with her left hand. “Yeah, alright. I guess we have some explaining to do.” She didn’t even seem to acknowledge the mood of the room. The lack of care caught Nino’s attention immediately. He looked closer and noticed the weight of the world on her shoulders. It wasn’t a new sight, but for the first time, she was letting it affect her. Ladybug’s shoulders were drooping and Nino was convinced he was witnessing Atlas finally buckle under the pressure. 

“Uh, yeah you do. Why was Adr- I mean...why was Chat Noir all, ya know…” Chloe hung her arms out like a rag doll and went partially limp. In response, Chat Noir’s face pulled taught into a cringe and he looked at the ground, embarrassed. 

“Yeah, are you okay Chat? We were pretty worried about you.” Alya’s voice was overflowing with concern and greatly contrasted the snarky tone she used to address Chloe. 

Unlike the other unmasked heroes, Nino didn’t say anything. Apparently, that was a mistake. Ladybug’s blue eyes turned steely out of inquisitiveness and she stared directly through Nino. The latter lowered his eyes, not wanting to meet those of the heroine’s. She spoke slowly and deliberately when addressing him. “You didn’t tell them, did you?”

Of course he hadn’t. 

Nino didn’t even want to think about the awful events he’d witnessed, much less relay them to Alya and Chloe. Whatever Chat had done, it was like the exact opposite of Ladybug’s cure. Nino had _felt_ destruction rush past him and it wasn’t great. Not to mention the whole glowy eye thing or the horrible threats he’d shrieked at the poor akumatized girl. Yeah, nightmare fuel for sure.

“Haha…” Nino immediately looked away, reaching one hand up nervously to fiddle with the back of his cap. 

“Tell us what??” Alya cut in before Nino even had the chance to defend himself. He dared to look back up at the others and was met with three sets of peering eyes glaring back at him for answers. Only Chat Noir was looking away and (as ashamed as he was to admit) Nino was thankful for that. He wasn’t sure if his fear response would be able to handle another death glare from the destruction incarnate. 

“I...uhh…” Nino’s voice trembled as it shuddered out of his throat. Three of the most dangerous girls in Paris were staring him down (the only person missing was Marinette) and it was _not_ easy to face them.

“What aren’t you telling us, Lahiffe?” Chloe’s eyes narrowed to daggers.

“Um, well, I...they...we, uh…” _Why_ was he allowed to have the ability of speech if he was clearly unable to form words? Surely there must’ve been pigeons who could’ve better utilized his vocal chords. 

“Hey, give the guy a break.” Chat Noir’s voice broke the tension in the room. The girls all turned their attention to him now. He looked over to Nino and offered a soft, sincere smile before turning to look at Ladybug. And as much as Nino knew he could trust Chat Noir, his fight or flight instincts were telling him something else entirely. But he battled them and remained where he was, thankful that the cat hero was on their side. 

Ladybug looked at her partner and they seemed to have a wordless conversation. Eyebrows moved up and down, mouths moved from frowns to uneasy smiles. Their eyes wavered between uncertainty and questioning glances. 

Eventually, Chat Noir spoke quietly to her. But given the silence of their surroundings, it wasn’t hard for the others to overhear. “I think it’s time to tell them everything. It’s the only way for it all to make sense. Then we can make a plan and put an end to this once and for all.”

Ladybug nodded. “Okay. From the top, then?”

“From the top,” Chat Noir replied. 

Ladybug turned her attention to the others in the room who watched the duo intently. Nino’s eyes were shooting back and forth between the two heroes. _What was going on? From the top of what??_

The spotted heroine took a deep breath and began speaking like a flood pouring through a broken damn. “First thing you guys need to know is that Chat Noir’s dad is an absolute travesty of a human being. He’s caused Chat to have some...substance issues lately and-”

“Okay, okay, no stop. Please.” Chat panickedly reached over and placed a hand on her shoulder. “You’re just making it sound like I have a drug issue, Ladybug. When I said the top, I meant the _top_.”

She looked at him worriedly. “But-”

“Oh, _come on!_ Unlike these peasants, I don’t really have all day. Just spit it out!” Nino’s jaw dropped at Chloe as she reprimanded the two heroes during an obviously tense moment. 

But, surprisingly, Chat Noir just huffed out a laugh. He stood and offered a hand down to Ladybug. “Chloe’s right. We just gotta rip it off like a bandage. You and me against the world, remember? This is the right decision.” Ladybug tentatively took his hand. “I know it goes against everything Master Fu taught us, but it’s better this way. You and I both know this.” He pulled her up so that Ladybug and Chat Noir now stood again in front of the others. 

Together, they turned to face the others. Ladybug’s face was a mix of emotions, way too many for Nino to gather an accurate reading. Contrastingly, Chat Noir was almost bubbling with excitement suddenly. And for some reason…it seemed wrong. Nino wanted to be comfortable around Chat’s vibrant green eyes and his trusting demeanor, but he just couldn’t yet. Not after what he’d seen. And especially now, with just learning who Hawkmoth was and knowing that Adrien was still in serious danger...it was almost too much.

Ladybug reached over and held onto Chat’s hand. “Alright. On the count of three.”

Chat smiled. “One…”

Chloe squinted at them. “Are you…”

Ladybug squeezed Chat’s hand. “Two…”

Alya’s eyes went wide. “Wait-”

“Three.” Ladybug and Chat Noir spoke in unison as they closed their eyes and bright lights washed over their bodies, revealing very _civilian_ clothing and very, very, _very_ familiar faces. 

Adrien looked directly at Nino, smiling the wonderful, amazing, warm, sunshine-y smile he always did. A look filled with love and trust and wonderment. “Hey Nino.”

Nino’s vision tunneled and he hit the floor. 

**************

A light, familiar touch tapped the side of his face. Nino cracked his eyes open to see Alya’s curls bouncing directly in front of him. “Hey. Turtle boy. Come on, stop being so dramatic.” She shifted her hand over and gently slapped the other side of his face. 

“Uh…” Was his only verbal response as he allowed her to pull him up into a sitting position. He looked around, seeing Marinette and Adrien not far behind his girlfriend, clearly concerned about him. Nino moved his eyes and...was that Chloe? Why was Chloe here? He looked around at the strange warehouse they appeared to be in. But why?

The last thing he remembered was an akuma battle. No wait...he also remembered that he and Rena brought Chloe here...where they waited for Ladybug and Chat Noir…who’d just revealed their identities…

His eyes went as wide as the top of a mushroom cloud as he remembered just who he was sitting in the presence of at the moment. 

Ladybug and Chat Noir

Also known as-

_Marinette_ and _Adrien??????????!!!!!!!!!!!!??????????!!!!!!!!!!!!???????????_

No. Nope. No. Just...no. No thank you. No

It wasn’t possible. It wasn’t a thing. There was _no way_ his friends were the ones who’d been risking their lives since Hawkmoth first emerged. There was _no way_ they had been dealing with the responsibility of being superheroes all this time. But most of all, there was definitely, absolutely, undeniably _no way_ Nino had never noticed before. 

Because.... _what??_ What kind of friend was Nino? Wasn’t he Carapace, the protector? And he’d been failing his friends this whole time?? Besides, Adrien couldn’t be Chat Noir. Because if he were...that would mean…

Gabriel Agreste was Hawkmoth. 

Chat Noir’s _father_ was the villain of Paris. 

And that - what were the chances - how did that - was that on _purpose_?

How did Marinette and Adrien first become heroes? Did they know who Hawkmoth was all along? And someone chose them to fight the evil? Did that even make sense?

Because then-

And what if-

And he-

The crazy, demon, destructive, shadowy stuff he’d witnessed earlier was caused by _Adrien_? Mr. Sunshine himself had brought horrible, awful shadows to the realm of mortals????

How did-

Why-

_What??_

“Hey, Nino, dude. It’s just us. We probably could’ve been better about how we went about it, but it was important all of you guys knew who we were.” Adrien slowly walked over and knelt next to Alya, right in front of Nino. He placed a soft, reassuring hand on his friend’s shoulder. Nino looked at the blonde, the (still new and strange) glasses slipping off his nose, the bags under his eyes and his hair falling messily in his face. 

But that smile. How could he not look at the smile and trust everything was going to be okay? And how had he not recognized this smile moments before when Chat Noir looked at him the exact same way??

“Bro…” Nino pushed himself forward forcefully and his body collided with Adrien’s. The latter was surprised to say the least and Nino’s momentum knocked him off his feet into a sitting position on the filthy warehouse floor. But Nino really didn’t care. He wrapped his arms around his best friend and squeezed tightly. Adrien looped his own arms around Nino’s back and reciprocated the gesture happily. After a few seconds, they pulled apart and helped each other to their feet. 

Next to them, Alya was squeezing the life out of Marinette in their own hug. “Ugh, now that I don’t have to worry about my boyfriend passing out, I can finally focus on the fact that my BEST FRIEND is LADYBUG!!!!” Alya shrieked out of delight and deepened the hug. Marinette’s face was turning red from a lack of oxygen.

Finally, she let go and Marinette gasped for air. 

“Well, I’m just saying, I knew Adrien was Chat Noir before anyone else did.” Chloe was still seated in her broken chair, inspecting her nails. 

Adrien just smiled and went over to her. “Yeah, I’m not quite sure how you figured it out, but I’m glad you did. Thanks for supporting me, Chlo.” He bent over and engulfed her in a hug, too. She wrapped her arms around his back and stood up to meet him. Nino marvelled at the embrace. This was the first sincere hug he’d ever seen between the two. For the first time, he could picture them being childhood friends and having a much deeper history than any of the others in the room. 

But Nino was still Adrien’s best friend. 

Which - _dude -_ meant Nino was Chat Noir’s best friend too. 

Yeah, this was going to take some getting used to. 

A shrill ringing sound burst from the room. Nino immediately recognized the ringtone of Alya’s phone. She plastered a puzzled look on her face and pulled it out to see who the caller was. “Hmm. It’s Rose-”

Another loud ringtone chimed from Chloe’s pocket. She copied Alya’s motions. “Sabrina?”

Nino felt his own phone begin vibrating in his pocket. He looked down at the screen and looked back up at the others with a questioning glance. “It’s Max. But why would-”

“Hey Rose! Yeah, I’m fine why- OH! Yeah, the akuma attack was pretty brutal today, huh? I uh...got turned into a plant? Where am I now…” Alya put her hand up to cover the microphone of her phone as she addressed the others in the room. “Where am I right now?” She whisper-hissed at everyone. They all just responded with a shrug. Alya pulled the phone back to her ear. “I’m uh...at Marinette’s! You know, she wasn’t at school today because she was sick so Nino and I came to check on her. Oh, and Chloe. Chloe’s here too.” 

The blonde glared at Alya as she answered her own phone call, supplying Sabrina with the same excuse, even if it looked like it physically pained her to admit to caring about Marinette’s health. 

But wait...didn’t Chloe idolize Ladybug? Which meant she idolized Marinette? Nino squinted his eyes. This was _definitely_ going to take some getting used to. He answered his own phone and was met immediately with Max’s voice. 

“Nino! Are you alright? School resumed classes exactly 45 minutes ago and neither you, Alya nor Chloe have reported back yet. Mme. Bustier is asking us to check on you and ensure your safety.”

“Uh, hey Max. Yeah we’re all okay. We were um...yeah we were checking in on Marinette and lost track of time.” He looked up to see Alya end her conversation and put her phone back in her pocket. 

“We’re all happy to hear that. Give Marinette our best wishes. Are you planning on returning to class? We have a test on Monday and today’s the last day of review. I would highly recommend you all take advantage of it.”

Oh, _shit_. They did have a test, didn’t they? And Nino was definitely looking forward to using that study game as his only source of information seeing as his notes were a disorganized mess. “Oh shoot, yes. Yeah dude. We’ll be right there.”

Alya, Chloe, Marinette and Adrien all stared at him as if he were crazy. They gestured to their surroundings and the very important conversation that should’ve been taking place. Whoops. 

“Excellent! I’ll tell Mme. Bustier to wait. We’re being divided into groups of four and having you three will be just enough to create another group. See you soon!” _Click_. 

Nino pulled the phone from his ear hesitantly as the others stared back at him. Alya put her hands on her hips. “Are you serious? You told him we’re going back to class?”

Nino sheepishly met his girlfriend’s glare. “It’s uh...review day. And as much as I love superheroing, I also love not failing. I’m sure we all need time to process everything anyway, right?” He was grasping at straws.

Chloe stared at him and then moved her eyes to look at Marinette and Adrien for answers. But as quickly as she did, she looked away disgusted by Marinette standing where Ladybug should’ve been. Nino laughed to himself. It appeared Chloe was having an especially difficult time coping with who Ladybug really was. “Lahiffe, all of this is much more important if you haven’t noticed. Lives are the line!”

But ultimately, Nino was really only relying on Marinette and Adrien’s input. When they’d first arrived at the warehouse, both seemed exhausted beyond all belief. Even now, after the thrill of the reveal, they were starting to droop again. It definitely didn’t escape him that they were instinctively leaning towards each other more than anything. 

Marinette spoke up first. “I mean, I was planning on having a real conversation about defeating Hawkmoth right now but,” she tugged on her wet hoodie and pulled her hands up to rub her biceps for warmth. “But, honestly I need a hot shower, some food and maybe a nap. That akuma battle really took it out of me. I also just need to process some stuff and maybe come up with a more solid plan?” She breathed as if trying to get her thoughts straight. “Maybe a couple hour break wouldn’t be an awful idea. We can all meet at my place after school.”

Chloe scoffed. “Me? At the Dupain-Chengs? I don’t think so. We’ll meet at Daddy’s hotel. It’s much roomier and includes room service.”

The other three all grumbled out similar responses that they’d much rather eat the leftover pastries of The Tom and Sabine bakery. Adrien looked up at his friend sympathetically. “Sorry, Chloe. But I just feel safer at Marinette’s. Father is looking for me and...he’s going to look there. Besides, Mari’s parents know who we are. I’m sure they’d be willing to help us out?” He looked over at his partner for confirmation. 

Marinette smiled uneasily. “Uh...sure. I mean, yes. Definitely. It’s just...gonna be another round of surprises to see all my friends are also superheroes. But they accepted who Ladybug and Chat Noir were semi-graciously. So, I’m sure it’ll be fine.” She looked back up at Adrien, who smiled gently, before turning her attention to Nino. “Yeah, you’re right Nino. If everything goes as planned, we will be taking that test on Monday and I’d much rather prefer to have review notes from class than notes from some random internet source. I haven’t done much reading lately. I think you guys should go to keep up appearances.”

Alya definitely did _not_ seem happy with this plan. “But-we just-I don’t…” her eyes fell before looking back up at her friend. “I just found you, Marinette. I don’t want Hawkmoth to find you guys and attack or something while we’re just hanging out at school.”

Marinette offered a sympathetic look and moved over to hug her best friend. She then reached out and pulled Nino in too. Adrien joined from behind and dragged Chloe with him, despite her complaints. Soon enough, the five of them were huddled together, all embracing one another. 

“We’re in this together now, all of us.” She twisted her head to look directly at Adrien before moving her gaze around to the others. “None of us are alone anymore. We _will_ defeat Hawkmoth and free this city of his control. And we’ll do it together. And then afterwards? We’ll all ace that literature test on Monday. Because we’re double-life living badasses and we can do anything.”

And despite the craziness that was apparently his life now, Nino found himself nodding along. Because with all these maniacs by his side, Hawkmoth didn’t stand a chance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So in my outline this chapter was a single bullet point but of course I have no self control. Also, I love Nino with my whole heart. His narratives are just so much fun to write. Thanks for reading! 
> 
> Find me on tumblr @constantconfusion14!


	24. Devil's in the Details

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry again for the late update. 2020 just continues to be a garbage year and I think the 'update schedule' is just going out the window for now. The good news is that I'm half way done with the next chapter so that one should be coming sooner! 
> 
> Thanks for always being patient and for being the best readers ever! Love you all.

The sky had finally cried itself dry by the time Marinette and Adrien returned to the Dupain-Cheng residence. Marinette rubbed her eyes tiredly as Adrien held the side door open for her. She murmured a ‘thanks’ as she passed by and instinctually peeked through the doorway into the bakery. There were about three customers inside, all peering at the treats and asking her Papa questions.

Strange. Papa hardly ever worked the register. _Where’s Maman?_ Marinette shrugged it off. She’d probably made an emergency trip to a store to get an ingredient they’d run out of or something.

“Everything okay?” Adrien spoke up quietly from beside her, tugging the drenched hood from off his head. His golden hair fell sloppily around his face and dripped water down his cheeks. The mixture of rain, hood and lack of hair products was forcing the blonde strands to fall into a hopeless state of disarray. Marinette smiled. Right now, he was missing that ‘perfectly put together’ visage and was resembling the chaotic mess she’d expect from Chat more than Adrien. But that didn’t mean he wasn’t absolutely stunning. 

“I uhhh….” Marinette quickly shook her head to force herself to look _away_ from his gorgeous, vibrant, glowing green eye- “Yes! Yes, I’m all good here!” She released a cringeful smile and began stomping up the steps, grabbing Adrien’s hand as she did so to drag him along. _Was she ever going to be capable of acting casually around him?_

When they reached the door to the kitchen, Marinette slammed it open with a little too much force. _Whoops_. But it’s not like the door wasn’t used to her constant clumsiness. The wall behind it had war scars from the sheer number of times Marinette had come bursting through the door. It made a familiar clanking sound as it slammed into the bookshelf on the wall. 

“Alright,” Marinette turned around, walking backwards into the room so she could face Adrien. “I was thinking we get a snack, take a power nap and then start planning our next- What? What’s wrong?” 

Adrien was staring past Marinette, his eyes wide with surprise and...fear? No, no she’d _seen_ plenty of fear from him as of late. This was something different. Not as threatening as fear, but it also certainly wasn’t a happy look. 

Marinette turned around to glance at what he possibly could’ve been staring at. Her jaw dropped when she saw her mom sharing a cup of tea with Officer Roger Raincomprix at her kitchen counter. 

Maman smiled pleasantly, placing her mug on the counter gently. “Marinette, Adrien, I’m sure you’ve met Officer Roger before, right?”

Panic mode _activated._

Marinette’s arms were flailing in the air before her thoughts had a chance to comprehend _why_ she was making the back and forth movement to usher a plane in for landing. Then she whipped back around to face Adrien. _Gotta hide his face, gotta hide his face!_ Luckily, he was still frozen in shock. Had Marinette not been panicked, she would’ve smirked. Chat always did tend to suffer from the ‘freeze’ instinct in dangerous situations. But Ladybug? She had the fight instinct. 

Which is why she punched her partner directly in the face. 

It _had_ been an attempt to reach his hoodie and pull it over his head to hide who was actually standing in the doorway with her. But she was frantic and instead of getting the whole command of reaching around his head, her arms only received the _thrust_ signal from her brain. 

Adrien immediately covered his face with his hands and took a step back. “ _OW!”_

Well...his face was covered now, wasn’t it? Different method, but same result. Thank goodness his glasses were nearly indestructible, too. (That didn’t stop Marinette from feeling awful though.)

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I’m so so sorry!” She blabbered out. Now that her mind had released its need to fight something, it seemed to be working more properly. She shakily reached behind his neck and tugged his hoodie over his face. It immediately began dripping water down his forehead again. 

Ok, good, that part was done. Now it was time for damage control. 

Marinette turned back around to the adults in the room. “Haha, who’s Adrien? This is my friend...Baaaadrien.” She smiled widely. “Yup! Badrien and he’s _definitely_ not Adrien Agreste because Adrien is missing and no I don’t know where he is but I am soaking wet and so is Adrien- I MEAN _Badrien_ so we’re gonna go up to my room and dry off because we don’t know where Adrien Agreste is, okay bye!” She grabbed _Badrien’s_ hand and made a break for the staircase to her room. 

“Marinette.” She’d made it about halfway up when her maman used The Tone of Voice **™**.

Like a sleeper agent who’d been triggered by intonation, Marinette stopped. Her shoulders were slightly hunched in anticipation of the oncoming lecture. She sighed dejectedly and walked back down to the ground floor. 

Adrien was still rubbing the pain out of his nose, but understood the situation enough without ever having heard Sabine’s ‘mom voice’ before. He pulled his hoodie down to reveal his identity and looked at the floor, expecting to be reprimanded. 

Office Raincomprix got out of his chair and walked over to the duo. Although silent, he placed a hand on Adrien’s shoulder. The blonde looked up out of surprise. The man just smiled at him. 

“Ya know, the precinct has been quite the frantic mess since we’ve received the news of you missing. They’ll be glad to know you’ve been found, safe and sound. I think all of Paris would be happy to know you’re okay.”

Marinette stared at her partner, trying to decipher the puzzled look on his face. He tried to stammer out his thoughts. “But, but I-” He looked back down at the ground. “My father was right. I _did_ run away. I was never really in danger. I just caused the entire city to worry for no reason.”

Um. No. Absolutely not. 

Three sets of eyes were on her before Marinette realized she’d spoken aloud. Well, that was fine anyway. It needed to be said. She reached over and placed a hand on Adrien’s other shoulder. “Adrien. Your father, if he can even be called that, put you in direct danger. You’re safe now _because_ you ran away. Never, _ever_ feel sorry for putting your own safety first. This city is worried because we care for you. Everyone does.”

Adrien smiled at her. Officer Raincomprix frowned. He turned back to ask Sabine a question with his eyes and then looked back to the teenagers. “Now, I’ve only been here for a few minutes but it seems like I’m gonna need an explanation. What’s been going on?”

Error. Adrien had definitely stopped working. Marinette couldn’t blame him, though. He’d only been able to convey the disaster that was his life to two people. That was only because they’d already been privy to some of the worst parts of the story. Marinette was fairly certain Adrien himself hadn’t processed all the events of the past few weeks. Expecting him to give a detailed report of it all to a police officer was asking _way_ too much. 

Let alone the fact that Adrien had been absolutely terrified of going to the hospital or the police. Now, he was being faced with that fear directly. Marinette knew there had been a reason Adrien wanted to keep all of this quiet. He didn’t know what to tell the police. He didn’t know _how_ to tell the police. There were so many secrets shrouding the entire situation that even Marinette’s best on-the-fly plans were falling short of how to explain it all. 

“Uh...can we just...not?” Adrien looked up at the officer with a hopeful glance. M. Raincomprix looked puzzled. 

“Excuse me sir, but may we please speak with my maman? Privately, for a moment?” Without waiting for a response, Marinette dragged Adrien to the other side of the room. Thankfully, Officer Raincomprix stayed by the door. 

As soon as she was close enough, Marinette leaned over to her mother. “ _Maman!_ Why did you call him? You know we don’t have everything worked out! Adrien told you he wasn’t comfortable with going to the police yet!” 

Sabine straightened her shoulders and looked at her daughter with an aggressive love. “You’re right, Marinette. I _don’t_ know what’s going on because you two aren’t ready to tell me. And that’s fine. I’m not asking you to.” She turned towards Adrien. “But Tom told me what you said this morning. About who Gabriel is,” she lowered her voice almost until it was indiscernible. “About how he has a miraculous.” Then she allowed her voice to come back up to a whisper. “And, sweetheart, that is a serious issue. We needed to get the police involved because this goes way above our heads. I know you two deal with this stuff on a regular basis, but so do I. All Parisians do. This is a matter of city security.

“Adrien,” she addressed him again. “I’m scared for you, sweetheart. I want to do all I can to protect you and keep you safe. You’re always welcome here, but at the end of the day, I think it’ll be safer if the police know where you are, too. If the news stops reporting you as missing and if you have a chance to tell your own story to the officials without corruption of the media. I’m sorry for going behind your back, but I feel as though this was the best thing I could’ve done in this situation. I love you. Both of you.”

Marinette breathed heavily. She was _Ladybug_ and Adrien was _Chat Noir_. They were superheroes. But they hadn’t even made a plan about how to take down their arch-nemesis before the opportunity was being taken away from them. It was unfair. The duty to protect the city belonged to Marinette and Adrien. No one else. It was a coward’s move to step aside and let the adults handle it. 

“You don’t have to be sorry Mme. Dupain-Cheng,” Adrien’s words contradicted Marinette’s thoughts entirely. “You did the best you could with the information you had and I’m sorry for not giving you a clearer picture. But…” He turned away for a moment, looking out their kitchen windows. When he began speaking again, his eyes were still scanning the horizon. “I’m still not sure I’m ready to talk about this. I...I don’t know if I ever will be.” He turned his attention to Marinette. “Is there any way we can dilute the truth somehow?”

The raven-haired girl furrowed her brows. “What do you mean ‘dilute the truth’?”

Adrien scrunched his nose, thinking of an answer. “I...taking Gabriel down is something _we_ need to do. There’s no way of telling what he has planned or what he’s capable of. Even if the police are there for backup, we need to take charge because we’re the only ones properly equipped to handle what he has to throw at us. That being said, your mom is right. My fa- _Gabriel_ is working on turning the tides in his favor right now. I think I need to tell M. Raincomprix at least some of my side of the story to avoid being painted in an even worse light.” Although his tone made it sound like he had more to say, Adrien stopped speaking.

Maman spoke up where Marinette couldn’t. “Adrien, you’re handling this with extreme maturity and I can’t begin to tell you how proud I am of y-”

“Mme. Dupain-Cheng, please don’t let them take me away from you or Marinette. Even M. Dupain. I know I’m still a minor and without a guardian I’ll be put into the system or placed with my family in London but I don’t want to leave any of you.”

Marinette watched her maman jump off her stool and pull Adrien into the biggest hug she could manage. Adrien relaxed in her grip and sighed slightly. When Maman pulled away, she smiled with tears in her eyes. “Officer Roger knows us. I called him specifically because I suspect his willingness to help us how he can. Adrien, I _purromise_ you that you’ll be staying here until you feel comfortable with leaving, okay?”

“Maman!” Marinette complained at her mother’s use of a cat pun but Adrien giggled loudly, covering his mouth with one hand. His eyes smiled, and Marinette smiled too. It had been a while since she’d seen that.

So together, the three of them loosely planned their conversation with the police office. After a few minutes, they called Officer Raincomprix over. With the help of the women, Adrien was able to spill out the safest parts of his story. He explained how Gabriel had been acting strangely suspicious lately and it felt like he’d been hiding a secret. 

“What kind of secret?” M. Raincomprix pried. Marinette noticed he was jotting some things down in a little notebook. She tried to peer over and see what he was writing, but the angle at which he held it was too sharp. 

“I uh...well…” Adrien looked to Marinette for support. 

“Whatever you think is right, Adrien.” 

“Well…” he took a deep breath and strengthened his defenses. “I-I think Gabriel Agreste is Hawkmoth.”

Officer Raincomprix dropped his pen. “What?”

Marinette seized the opportunity to chime in. “Please sir, this is why we haven’t reached out to authorities yet. Adrien immediately spoke with Ladybug and Chat Noir and they’re dealing with it as we speak.”

The man looked between the two teens, clearly too stunned to answer. 

Adrien continued, reaching out for both Marinette and Sabine’s hands to hold. “I saw him wearing a butterfly brooch and he was speaking with his assistant about his plans to akumatize someone and steal the ladybug and black cat miraculouses. At first I thought it was a joke, but fath-Gabriel never makes jokes. He quickly realized I was eavesdropping and began threatening me, saying he’d make an akuma to...erase my memory or something. He was coming towards me and…and I was…” His voice dropped to a whisper. “I was terrified. So I ran.” Despite his tone, not a single tear pricked at his eyes, instead, a fierce determination flickered within him. “And I’m not going back. With all due respect sir, I need to feel safe right now. I believe my f- _Gabriel_ is looking for me. I only feel safe here.”

Officer Raincomprix looked like he’d just watched a nuclear bomb explode in front of him. Which, yeah, he might’ve. “That...that would explain yesterday’s akuma. Son, I think there’s a good chance you might be right with your suspicion.”

Marinette forced herself to keep her eyes from rolling. Of course his suspicion was correct. But M. Raincomprix was just doing his best. She couldn’t blame him for that.

Maman spoke up then, offering to let Adrien stay with them for as long as needed. The two adults worked through the legality issues. Officer Rogers was not someone to go against the law, the need to correctly fulfill his duties burned through his veins. But Sabine convinced him, slowly but surely, to simply wait to take action. 

“I’m not sure of the legal complications of all this, but I can assure you I will inform myself. I know a court will be involved and honestly, Adrien, we might want to look at some form of emancipation for you. But that’s going to take time. For now, Ladybug and Chat Noir are dealing with the situation on their end.” Marinette noticed how her mother now spoke the superheroes’ names as if she were reading a death certificate. That certainly didn’t make the girl feel confident in the upcoming battle. “I suggest we wait until this is all over to make any decisions about Adrien. Right now, we need to worry about Gabriel. But it would be nice to see the media stop skewing the truth of it all and harassing the poor boy through the screen.”

The conversation continued. Marinette found her eyelids starting to slip closed after what seemed like forever when Officer Raincomprix finally stood from his seated position. “Thank you, all of you, for discussing this with me. I know it makes you nervous, but I am going to have to reach out to my superiors and make an attempt to contact Ladybug and Chat Noir. I believe this is an issue we need to work together on. As for you, Adrien,”

Marinette saw his head snap to attention at the mention of his name. “I’m simply going to say you approached me on the street with this information and then outran me. It should be enough to convince everyone I was able to confirm your identity and safety. For the time being, that should be enough to quell the search and media presence. After this is all over, we can begin looking at the next steps, sound good?”

All three residents of the house nodded happily. They eventually ushered the officer out of the building, expressing their gratitude towards him. Silence replaced his presence in the room for a fraction of a moment before Sabine tackled the kids in another hug.

“I have half a mind to never let the two of you out of the house again.” She pulled them together tightly, her face being squished between their heads. Then she let go, keeping a hand on each of their shoulders. “Marinette, from now on I need you to check in with me within five minutes of defeating an akuma. I know you can handle yourself, but you’re also just a kid and I’m your mother. You can’t ever leave me worrying like that again. And you,” she pulled Adrien back into another hug. “You need to be more careful, mister.”

Sabine released Adrien and huffed exasperatedly. “Now, your poor father is still alone in the bakery. I’m going to go down and help him finish up but you-” she stared daggers at both of them. “You two aren’t going anywhere for the rest of the day, okay? You’re staying put so we can work through all of this together.”

Marinette bit her tongue and smiled at her mother. “Yes, maman. Is it okay if I have some friends over, though? We need to discuss some...plans with them.

Sabine eyed her daughter warily. “Which friends?”

Marinette laughed uneasily. “Uh...Alya, Nino and...Chloe.”

Her mother thought for a moment and then deadpanned. She just shook her head. “Of course. Why am I not surprised? But yes, your hero friends are always welcome here. Just no leaving, okay? You’re going to give me a heart attack at this rate.” Sabine pulled the kids in once more and planted a kiss on each of their foreheads. Then she smiled and turned around before she could second guess herself. The door closed behind her with a soft click. 

**************

“They’re. So. _Cute!_ ” Alya whispered happily, taking yet another picture of the sleeping pair. Adrien was tucked into the corner of the couch, his head resting on the back of it at an awkward angle. Marinette was seated next to him, but it appeared as though she’d fallen over at some point during their nap. Her head was nestled against Adrien’s shoulder and her arm rested on his chest as her dark, wet hair dripped water all over his shirt. Adrien’s glasses must’ve slipped off his face at some point as they were now balanced precariously on the edge of the couch cushion. 

Four apple cores and a half eaten bag of pretzels sat on the coffee table. An open notebook accompanied them with the heading “ _P_ _lan to Beat Hawkmoth”_ written at the top. Nothing was written beneath it. Crumpled balls of paper surrounded the duo entirely, making it look like they’d been through a battle where stationery was the ammo. Judging by how they both still held writing utensils in their hands, it was pretty obvious to tell they hadn’t meant to fall asleep. 

But thank goodness they did. Alya happily took a burst of photos, already making plans of a virtual scrapbook for Marinette’s next birthday. She already had the caption for this one: ‘Babies’ first Nap.” Oh! Or, she could try: ‘A Power Nap for a Power Couple.” She’d have to figure out the details later. 

“They’re really not _that_ cute.” Chloe spoke loudly, breaking the fragile quietness of the room. She walked over to the back of the couch and roughly ruffled Adrien’s also-damp hair. “Come on, Adrikins. Wake up!” The reaction was immediate. Adrien jolted awake in a panic, shoving Marinette unceremoniously off of him to the other side of the couch. The sudden movement caused her to startle awake too, nearly falling to the ground entirely.

“What-who’s there? What’s going on?” Adrien sat up instantly, nearly crushing his glasses in the process.

“Woah, sunshine. It’s just us. No need to panic. Although we did catch you guys cuddling red handed.”Nino shot Chloe a pissed off, protective look as Alya swooped down and scooped up Adrien’s glasses. She quickly placed them on his face, causing him to flinch when he felt her hands near his head. It was strange he didn’t yet seem to recognize her voice but Alya chalked it up to sleep-induced disorientation. 

Marinette groggily looked up at the rest of them with a pout that surely could’ve won the ‘cutest pissed-off look’ award. As soon as she made eye contact with Adrien, though, her features softened. She looked at him as if speaking a full conversation and he stared back at her. At first his eyebrows were furrowed, but then he relaxed. “Okay, yeah we’re good now, _Marinette_.” His words sounded a little too deliberate. 

Alya looked back and forth between the two of them. Why did he say her name as though it were filled to the brim with implications? Apparently being best friends with Paris’s superhero duo came with a downside: their nonverbal communication was clearly superior in the friend group. 

“Why is your hair wet.” Chloe spoke up suddenly, looking at Marinette with absolute neutrality. Even though the question applied to both nappers, the blonde only looked at the girl on the couch.

Marinette looked back at her suspiciously. “I took a shower.”

“Well, you really should’ve let it dry properly before falling asleep on it. That doesn’t do you any good. I’m going to have to find some decent products for you to use.” The blonde’s facial expression never changed. Alya cocked her head. Was...was that an insult? Or a backhanded offer to help?

Marinette kept her eyes narrowed on Chloe. “Ok. Thank you.” Her relatively pleasant voice didn’t match the wary facial expression. And then came the awkward silence. As much as Alya thought _she_ was struggling with the identities, it was clear Chloe was having her own difficulties. 

Out of the corner of her eye, Alya saw Nino puff his cheeks with air as an awful attempt to break the tension. At the same time, Marinette pulled her attention away from Chloe and dragged herself off up off the couch (Alya could tell her best friend was still groggy but was trying desperately to hide it due to the present company). Without missing a beat, Adrien immediately copied her movements and followed her into the kitchen. “Does anyone want anything to eat or drink? I don’t know why but I’m still starving.” Marinette opened her fridge and peered inside while Adrien silently opened cupboards and cabinets in search of something. 

Without even having to turn around and look at him, Marinette spoke out. “All the way to the left. Second shelf from the bottom.” Adrien followed her directions perfectly and found what he must’ve been looking for. He pulled down five cups and handed one to each of them (Alya definitely noticed how he kept the red and black polka dotted one for himself). 

She continued watching them, how they moved in perfect synchronicity even through small, insignificant tasks like getting snacks for everyone. Alya was tempted to pull her phone out just to record how flawlessly they moved around each other in the kitchen. If Marinette took a step backward, Adrien moved with her to avoid a collision. If Adrien reached for something, Marinette would spin or duck out of his way fluidly. Never before had Alya seen two people move like a meticulously calibrated machine. 

Correction, never had she seen people _other than_ Ladybug and Chat Noir move so easily together. Although it was slightly jarring to see the flustered Marinette and oblivious Adrien acting like this, it was also beautiful. Alya couldn’t help but smile. Both of her ships (which turned out to only be one) were _thriving_. 

Soon enough, the five heroes were seated around each other, a pile of snacks on the table.

“So…” Marinette began. “I know we have a lot of explaining to do, but it’s been pretty rough these last couple weeks. Chloe, I’m not sure exactly _what_ you know butuh...Gabriel Agreste is Hawkmoth. And we’re going to make our move against him this weekend. Probably like, tomorrow or something. I haven’t gotten that far yet.”

Wow. To think Marinette had chastised Adrien yesterday for dropping that bomb so casually. Either Marinette was still harboring hard feelings towards Chloe for a lifetime of rudeness or the poor superheroine was just exhausted to the point of having less empathy. (Which was a scary thought, Alya had to admit to herself). The redhead looked over to watch Chloe’s reaction to the news. To her surprise, tears actually welled in the corners of her eyes. She looked sadly at Adrien, but coughed quickly to cover her emotions. “Parents really suck, don’t they?” Her voice sounded as though it’d been tightly forced through a garlic press. Adrien just nodded sadly at her words. 

“Yeah,” Marinette continued slowly. Alya could tell she was trying to judge whether or not to allow Chloe more time to deal with what she’d told her. But Alya had a million other questions and it had been killing her to sit in class for hours after the identity bombshell had been dropped on her. She needed answers, _now_. 

“So we’re going to strike tomorrow. Sounds good. What else do we have to know?”

“A lot.” Adrien answered instantly. He brushed his hand through his hair, shaking it slightly to give it a nice ruffled look. Must’ve been some sort of nervous-model-tick. “Nino, I need to tell you about what happened at the akuma attack today. I’m embarrassed and ashamed of what I did but...it wasn’t completely my fault.”

Nino raised an eye. “Ok?” Alya looked back and forth between them. Nino, Alya and Chloe only had a brief moment to talk about what had happened. During that time, Nino dodged the topic of the akuma attack like an expert trapeze artist. Alya still wasn’t entirely sure what had happened after she’d become part plant. Saying she was eager to find out would be a major understatement. 

“It’s a bit of a long story, but I’m just gonna start at the top and kind of give a crash course. And so...a few months ago I found out Hawkmoth’s identity-”

“What?!” Alya was almost on her feet at the statement. Adrien had known for _months_ and he hadn’t told anyone??? Before she could say anything, Marinette held her hand up. Adrien continued before anyone else could. 

“It was an accident. I stumbled into this weird bunker thing beneath my house. Gabriel and Nathalie were down there, tending to some kind of butterfly garden or something. I’m not sure, it was really weird.”

Nino was biting his lip. Alya hadn’t seen her boyfriend this on edge in well, _ever_. She watched his face as he was trying to link everything together, but no connections were being made yet. “Okay. So a weird secret garden. But how did you figure out his identity?”

“Well…” Adrien hesitated until Marinette reached over and took his hand for support. Adrien breathed deeply. “He has my mother down there, in some sort of weird, sci-fi chamber-” Gasps filled the room but the teen continued on, trying to focus on the task at hand. “To be honest, I’m not really even sure if she’s alive, but I’m kind of hoping for a best-case scenario type thing here. Anyway, uh… I got angry. Like _really_ angry at him for keeping a secret like that and I guess that wasn’t the reaction he was looking for…” Alya watched as he pulled himself back to focus rather than allowing himself to get lost in his thoughts. “He transformed and suddenly Hawkmoth was there and he’d created an akuma. I thought for sure he was going to akumatize me, but he sent it to Nathalie instead. She was called ‘Amnesia’ and used her powers to erase my memory so I carried on the next day as if nothing had happened.”

No one spoke as his words stacked more and more deadweights on the atmosphere of the room. Alya thought she heard Nino whisper the world’s quietest “dude….” but she couldn’t be sure. 

Adrien looked up at them all, but no one responded so he continued, not knowing what else to do. “Um, yeah. So that happened a couple times because I kept figuring it out over and over. I can’t be sure exactly how many times that happened. Memory’s a little fuzzy, haha.” He tapped his head comedically. Marinette squeezed his other hand tightly to reprimand him for the awfully placed joke.

Adrien cleared his throat and, to Alya’s dread, continued. “Anyway, that’s why I’ve been having really bad headaches recently. It’s weird, because Amnesia’s akuma power or whatever she used on me started affecting me physically and I just felt awful. Then one night…” He made a face, trying to think of the right words. Alya bit her tongue. She already didn’t like what was coming. “I can’t really explain it. It’s like the Amnesia serum or something merged with my emotions. I just got so _angry_ at Hawkmoth. I was screaming pretty awful things at him until, I don't know, my system overloaded or something and I wasn’t fully in control. After that day, I managed to overcome my missing memories and I went to Ladybug for help.” He squeezed Marinette’s hand twice, surrendering the conversation over to her. 

The transition was fluid. “Well, Adrien definitely downplayed what happened, but yeah. More or less, that’s the situation. I healed him so he’s mostly okay now. It’s just he’s been having ‘relapses’ of sorts when he wakes up and...well, Nino, you saw what happened at the akuma attack today. From what we figure, it had to have been residual effects from what Amnesia did to him.”

“Wait, wait, I thought your cure healed everything?” Chloe had to force her eyes away from Adrien (who was smiling innocently as if everything was perfectly fine) towards Marinette. 

Now it was the raven-haired girl’s turn to cringe. “Yeah...about that. We found out yesterday that our powers are a little more limited than we thought. As it turns out, my cure is linked to my focus. So I can’t heal something I didn’t know happened.”

“That...that’s the other thing that happened at the fight earlier. As it turns out, I have a Catastrophic ability that can offset Ladybug’s cure. So today when I became frustrated and angry I uh...I relapsed from the serum. Because I was transformed and apparently dead set on destroying Hawkmoth, I used my ‘Catastrophic Chat Noir’. Whereas Ladybug’s Cure creates entropy with all magic-inflicted things and people, my Storm destroys them. That’s what happened today. I wasn’t in control and I don’t remember any of it, but I know the fault still falls on me. I’m sorry.”

Chloe looked at them, horrified. “Wait, are you saying y-you _killed_ me and the fox earlier?”

Adrien shifted his gaze to the ground. Alya found her mouth moving before she could fully process everything. “Why would such a power even exist?? That’s awful! Adrien, I’m so, so sorry this all happened to you.”

Nino didn’t let the sentiment sink in. “Bro, I’m still confused. If the serum was just amplifying your emotions, that’s one thing. But earlier today it was like...I don’t know, man. Some real exorcist shit. I don’t care how much Amnesia or whatever has affected you, Adrien, you don’t have it in you to kill. I know that. But today, I really thought you were going to murder the akuma victim or Hawkmoth. Maybe both. Even your voice was different, dude. That’s not normal. That wasn’t _you_ or Chat Noir. It was like...someone else.”

Alya could see Adrien biting the inside of his lip. If she noticed it from across the room, the poor kid must’ve been biting _hard_. “I don’t know, honestly. Masssssss…” He moved his eyes sideways, glancing at Marinette as he held out the sound. She gently shook her head ‘no’. Adrien pursed his lips for a second in thought before continuing. “Our advisor,” he spoke slowly, “Is even stumped by it. They said there’s even a possibility I might always have relapses and that my eyes will never get better.”

If it was even possible, he received more strange looks. “Yeah, he lied yesterday when he tried to convince you he’s always worn glasses. Amnesia messed with his eyes and now he’s practically blind without the horse miraculous.” Marinette supplied context for them.

Alya’s jaw dropped. “Those glasses are a miraculous??” Despite the moody room, Alya couldn’t stop the excitement from bubbling out of her. She clasped her hands together. “What do they do?!?”

Adrien smiled back at her mischievously (his emotions were really all over the place today, too. But then again, Alya couldn’t blame him. His life was more windy than a rollercoaster). “Teleportation. I was thinking of calling myself Stallion if I use them again.”

Alya crossed her arms over her chest, sporting a proud look. “Nice.”

Chloe smiled at him too. “I always told you you would look fantastic in glasses, Adrikins. Hopefully now you believe me. But you should really consider changing the frame of those. Maybe go with square instead of round.”

Nino waved his hands suddenly. “Wait, wait, wait. I’m going to need you dudes to backtrack for a second here. You said your powers are _limited??_ What does that even mean? How can pure creation and destruction be limited? That doesn’t even make sense.”

“Yes and no,” Marinette agreed. “Ma- sorry, our advisor, as Adrien put it, told us a legend of uh...what were they? Little gods or something?” She looked at her partner for support. Adrien shrugged and made the “i don’t know’ noise. 

“I wasn’t really paying that much attention if I’m going to be honest.”

Marinette grumbled to herself. “Of course you weren’t, Chaton. Anyway,” she turned her attention back to the others. “The presence of these little gods kind of acted like a booster of somesort. So whereas my Cure only heals magic things I focus on, an unlimited Miraculous Ladybug would do a lot more to even non-magic things. Chat’s Storm works in an identical manner. At least, I think it does. That one’s still a bit new to us. But the trade off for more power is that the wielder must use their miraculous responsibly. The creatures made sure of it. Obviously, it’s just a legend and we _don’t_ have these beings looking out for us anymore. Thus Hawkmoth’s misuse of it.”

Adrien chimed in to help with the explanation.“But I think the moral of the story is that we’re limited for a reason. If Ladybug’s Cure needlessly created and my Storm needlessly destroyed, the world would have a lot more issues to deal with.” He paused for a minute and furrowed his eyebrows. “....I forgot where we were going with this.” Adrien was already leaning with his elbows on his knees, but he leaned forward a bit more, reaching for his cup on the coffee table. He sipped slowly as three new recruits drank in all the information that had been delivered to them by rapid fire. 

“Okay so your father is even trashier than we thought, you go all Chat Noir-Hulk on us when you get too angry and everyone here has the potential to be more powerful than we think? Do I have all of that right?” Alya held her fingers out and began counting the main points on it. It felt wrong and disrespectful to try and simplify what her best friends had gone through. For the sake of making progress though, that’s exactly what Alya needed to do. 

Marinette and Adrien both nodded in response. “More or less, yeah.” _Ugh, they even spoke in unison, too_.

“Alright, cool. I’ll just store all that away for my next therapy appointment. But how do we use this to take down Hawkmoth? And what happens after that? Adrien, what about your mom?"

The blond’s face broke into an unexpected, incredulous smile. “Oh, of course! How could I forget that little detail!” The grin dropped as quickly as it came and he rubbed his eyes under his glasses with his thumb and forefinger. 

“So, now we’re stepping into more ‘secret’ ish information but...I feel like it’s necessary for you all to know what we’re up against.” Marinette was starting to bounce her leg up and down in a familiar fashion. She was starting to get anxious. Her speech slowed suddenly, making Alya realize just how fast she’d been speaking in the first place. “If Hawkmoth possesses both the ladybug earrings and the black cat ring, he’ll gain the ability to shape reality. According to Adrien, Gabriel is planning to use this power to revive Mme. Agreste.”

It sounded like Nino’s soul slipped out of his body. “Adrien...bro…”

Adrien just laughed disturbingly. “Oh wait, it gets better. The wish isn’t cut and dry genie-type-stuff. The world always has to remain in balance. Meaning, if my mother is _revived_ then someone, probably of equal importance to Hawkmoth, is going to, ya know, the opposite of revived.”

Chloe’s hands flew up to her mouth, covering a gasp as Adrien looked at them as if he were waiting for them to laugh at his punch line. 

“No. We’re not going to let that happen.” Alya clenched her fist until the blood stopped flowing past her knuckles, turning them white. “We’re five freaking superheroes. Adrien, we’re not going to let your awful excuse of a father do you any more harm. We _will_ take him down tomorrow-”

“Or the next day-” Marinette chimed in quickly, but Alya just kept going. 

“We’ll throw him in a prison so far away from here, you’ll never have to see him again. And we’ll find a way to save your mom. I’m sure she’s still alive, there’s always hope.”

Nino pushed himself off the ottoman he sat on and aggressively squished himself beside his best friend. He threw one arm around Adrien and hugged his shoulders tightly. “You have us now. All of us. If you need to vent, or let it out or anything, we’re here for you.”

Adrien leaned into the embrace. “Thanks, Nino. But I think I’ve already cried enough for the next few years. I just want to take my father down. It’s time for this to end. Ladybug,” He looked over at Marinette. “What’s the plan?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof, this one was rough, but I finally got it! I just decided to use one chapter to purge most of the tedious things that needed to be done. It was rough, but here she is! Also, I fell asleep while trying to edit this and then kind of gave up entirely, so if you notice anything that doesn't fit or make sense feel free to leave a comment or something :) 
> 
> Find me on tumblr @constantconfusion14


	25. The Plan

Stallion Noir crept up the steps of what he used to call home. It was strange being back here again, seemingly devoid of life. But then again, it had been that way for a while now. He reached up to his ear, activating his earpiece to Ladybug. 

“So far, so good m’lady. I’m going in.” 

“Be careful, Chat,” came the worried response. 

The perfectly oiled door was silent as it swung open. Adrien snuck in through the shadows, his cat tendencies making his body nearly dissolve into the darkness. Although the bright, cyan accents from the horse miraculous were working against him, he was still nearly invisible. Even if it appeared as though no one were home, he wasn’t taking any risks. There was no telling what Gabriel knew or what he’d do if he found any one of the heroes. Adrien shuddered at the frigidness of the mansion. 

Stallion Noir observed his surroundings for a moment before he heard voices coming from the office off the atrium. _Of course_ . Creeping closer, he was able to confirm Hawkmoth’s voice along with another feminine one. It had to have been Nathalie but...something was different about it. _Mayrua_. She must’ve been transformed. Or, was she someone else right now? Ladybug had mentioned seeing a red akuma as opposed to the white one after the last battle. Was it possible Hawkmoth akumatized Nathalie in order to become Scarlet Moth? He supposed it didn’t really matter at this point. No matter the costume, they were enemies of Paris and had to be taken down. 

Stallion Noir brought his hand back up to his earpiece, his whisper nearly silent as he spoke. “I found them, but we could be dealing with Scarlet Moth and an akumatize Nathalie, rather than Mayura. Ready for Phase II?” 

“Phase II is a go.”

“Voyage!” Stallion punched his fist towards the office doors. They flew open, taking Hawkmoth and Mayrua by surprise. _Good to know Hawkmoth wasn’t supercharged at the moment. That would make it marginally easier to take him down._ Over the comm, Stallion Noir heard the familiar sound of Rena’s flute. A moment later, an illusion of all five of the heroes stepped through the portal. 

“Hawkmoth!” Mirage-Ladybug demanded confidently. “We have you cornered! Surrender your miraculous!”

As she held their attention, Stallion Noir slipped unnoticed through the back of his portal and was immediately transported to where the actual, non-illusion heroes were. He stuck the landing perfectly, immediately punching his fist forward again, creating a second portal. Adrien focused on the location of this one. He imagined it being on the side of the office Hawkmoth and Mayura would be facing away from (assuming they were still preoccupied with the fake heroes). The portal appeared perfectly, a spinning death trap that held all the implications of the battle ahead of them. 

“Ready?” Ladybug smiled at her friends. 

“Ready.” They all replied and jumped through. 

The illusions were working perfectly, taunting their enemies while evading every strike thrown at them. Behind the supervillains, Ladybug, Stallion Noir, Rena Rogue, Carapace and Queen Bee appeared. Stallion quickly released his transformation, becoming Chat Noir again, with the glasses remaining on his face. 

Ladybug threw her arm forward, suddenly, wasting no time. “NOW!” She, Chat and Carapace went after Hawkmoth as Rena and Queen Bee attacked Mayura. Carapace threw his shield at Hawkmoth, knocking the man over. Chat leaped on his chest, pressing his baton tightly against the man’s rib cage, pinning him to the floor. Ladybug fluidly reached down and plucked his miraculous off and reducing him to the sad fashion designer he was. 

On the opposite side of the room, Mayura was immediately paralyzed by Queen Bee. Within seconds, Rena Rogue ripped off the woman’s peacock pin. She smiled and threw the miraculous over to Ladybug who caught it easily and placed it in her Bugphone. 

Exactly on time, sirens outside exploded in a flash of red and blue. 

Perfect. Everything had gone perfectly. Not a single snag in the plan. What _luck_. 

“I told you, you’d never win, Hawkmoth! Not when good such as us exists in this world! We are the Miraculous Heroes, and we will Protect Paris with everything we have!”

“Uh...Marinette, that’s a little dramatic, don’t you think?”

The vision screeched to a halt. 

Marinette was suddenly back in her living room, discussing her plan with her friends and parents. The bakery had closed about an hour ago, allowing Tom and Sabine to take part in the discussion. Chat was sitting closely next to her. He’d gotten sick of his glasses and decided to transform about 30 minutes ago because ‘it was easier’. Marinette looked at him now, taking offense to his commentary on the perfect scenario she’d planned out. 

“Have you been paying attention for the past week? I don’t think any victory monologue is going to be too dramatic.”

“Eh, no. Sorry, ‘Nette. I think it’s a little much.”

“I agree, sweetie. Try something like, ‘Now _that’s_ Miraculous’. It packs a better punch.” Her Papa smiled at her, trying to help out in any way he could. 

“Also, Adri-Cha-Adri,” Alya narrowed her eyes at the feline hero. “What am I supposed to call you, now? This is confusing.”

Chat just shrugged.

“Anyway, _he_ said there was a secret bunker or something in his basement. Isn’t it more likely that Hawkmoth and Mayura will be there instead of the office?”

Everyone started nodding. 

Marinette sighed exasperatedly. “Okay, fine. Then Stallion Noir will just portal there instead.”

“But how is he going to confirm they’re there? Take the elevator down? That’ll compromise him for sure.” Nino spoke up now, fiddling with the headphones around his neck. “And if he takes a risk and portals into the bunker and they’re _not_ there, then there’s no way for us to get through once he does find them. I’m not sure the illusions will last long enough for all of us to sneak into wherever they might be rather than being teleported instantly.”

“You’re sending me after Mayura instead of Hawkmoth? Utterly ridiculous! Dupain-Cheng, I have the powerful ability to paralyze my enemy. You absolutely need me to help take down your strongest opponent.”

Marinette narrowed her eyes at everyone in the room. She spoke through clenched teeth. “It was a _first draft_. I don’t see anyone else coming up with good ideas.”

“M’lady they’re not saying it’s bad, just that there are a few areas we could tweak. You’re the team’s leader and our best strategist, by far. Even if your plan was to just run in guns a-blazing, we’d follow you.”

Marinette forced herself to take a deep breath. “Yeah, ok. Thanks, Chat.”

“Also, we need to figure out what we’re going to do with Mme. Agreste.” Maman chimed in, holding another cup of tea. Marinette could smell the notes of eucalyptus from across the room. Maman and Papa were seated at the counter, each sipping their anxiety-reducing beverage as the children strewn about the living room casually discussed a major battle in the war of the miraculous. Marinette really couldn’t blame her parents. 

The room went quiet at the mention of the other main issue they were facing. Maman placed her mug on the counter, eliciting a soft _clink_ . “For instance, should we let the police find her and try to help her in a hospital? Or is this another magic issue your _advisor_ needs to deal with.” The way she phrased ‘advisor’ told Marinette her parents still held a strong grudge against Master Fu for putting the responsibility of protecting Paris on the shoulders of teenagers. 

“Well, I’m not entirely sure what the cause of my mom’s...condition is. All I know is that her health suddenly began declining one day. A lot of coughing, dizzy spells and stuff. A few weeks later she was on bedrest and then she just...disappeared.” Chat supplied, trying to offer any details he could to determine if his mother’s ailment was natural or not. 

Marinette stared at her partner, his bright green cat eyes pouring with emotion. He’d always been so expressive through his eyes and she loved it. Even when it broke her heart like it was now. “That sounds a little less than normal if I’m being honest. Do you remember her ever mentioning the miraculous or anything?”

Chat Noir shook his head. “I don’t know. It was a while ago and so much has happened in the past year.”

“Well then, why don’t we take her to Master--- uh _Mister_ Advisor, first to see if he knows how to fix it. If not, then we’ll rush her to the hospital.” Marinette suddenly clenched her teeth, realizing she’d almost let the guardian’s name slip in front of the others. Thankfully though, no one seemed to react much.

“But what if she’s being supported by her coffin-thingy? I don’t want to move her out of it if it could hurt her.” Chloe was leaning forward, clearly very invested in the conversation. Marinette had to constantly remind herself that the Bourgeois' and Agreste’s had a long family history together. It would make sense for Chloe to be overly worried about someone who might’ve filled a motherly role in her life. 

Marinette deflated at the girl’s question. Chloe had a really good point. But at the same time, if they sent her to the hospital her condition might degrade there if she were being affected by something magical. The raven-haired girl sighed and folded herself in half, resting her head between her knees. _Why were there so many complications?_

“Hey, girl, we’ll get through this. You’re Ladybug, afterall, and Ladybug has the most kick-ass plans of anyone in the world.” She could hear Alya smiling through her words.

“Exactly!” Chat chimed in. “Like that one time you planned how to defeat Backwarder in reverse.” Marinette looked up at him out of curiosity. He tensed up suddenly and made an emotionless expression, holding his hand out directly in front of him. “Msylcatac!” Immediately after, he fell back into a relaxed smile. The smile that always pulled the air out of Marinette’s lungs, reminding her to breathe. “Never forget you’re a genius, Marinette.”

The rest of the room was stuck in a silent confusion, standing on the outside of an inside joke. 

Marinette chuckled endearingly at her partner and reached up to scratch behind his ears out of habit. He leaned into her touch, releasing a loud, deep purr from his throat. For a split second, Marinette felt like she was Ladybug, scratching her kitty’s head as they watched the sunset from a quiet rooftop. It was nice and relaxing and familiar. 

Adrien pulled away from her suddenly and reality came crashing back. Marinette looked up to see Alya smiling cruelly, Nino staring in an excited disbelief, Chloe looking back and forth between the two, utterly confused as to how she should feel. Most noticeably though, Maman and Papa watched their daughter _pet_ her boy-friend (boyfriend? Marinette blushed at the thought) like a cat. Worst of all, he actually _purred_ which was absolutely not a human characteristic. 

“Ahaha, sorry. Force of habit.” The two smiled sheepishly. 

“This is just so weird. That whole ‘my best friends are Ladybug and Chat Noir’ thing is still sinking in. Is it still called Ladynoir if you guys aren’t in costume? Or is this more like...Marinoir?” Alya genuinely asked. Then she squinted his eyes more. “Chatinette? Marichat? The possibilities honestly could be endless.”

Instantly, Marinette’s face heated up. Adrien looked down to the ground, clearly suffering the same symptom.   
  
“Anyway!” Her father announced loudly, clapping to get everyone back on topic. “Let’s get back to the battle plan. We’ve still got to smooth out some details. Plus, I want you kids to get back to your families at _some_ point today.

Marinette simultaneously cringed and sighed. She’d have to sit down soon with her parents and have a decent conversation about a relationship with Adrien. _Especially if he was going to live with them temporarily_ . _No, no, no, no Marinette. Stayed focused!!!_

She shook her head, pulling herself back to the present. Papa was right. They still had _a long_ way to go. 

**************

A shuddering snicker echoed through the basement cavern, bouncing back and forth off the walls. The sound increased ever so slightly to the point where the source of the noise almost collapsed entirely into a fit of laughter, but the man reigned it back in. After all, he was nothing if not composed. 

Scarlet Moth held a picture of his wife, stroking her frozen face with one hand. Even here, she was encased in glass, shielded from the cruel irony of his current situation. Once again she was cocooned and protected from the awful reality of things. He wouldn’t let her return to this world, not yet. A world where people’s loyalty meant nothing. Where their own son betrayed his family so flippantly. Emilie would be so disappointed in this reality. 

He had a little more work to do before he could let her breathe on her own once more. The Paris her eyes would gaze upon would be a place of his own design, an even more perfect city than it was when they moved here. They’d gotten lost in their ignorant love back then. Back when Emilie had made the mistake of putting others before herself and used the peacock miraculous. She sacrificed her health for the wellbeing of others. Gabriel would ensure history didn’t repeat itself. It was the only way they could persevere as a family. 

A family. It had been such a concrete notion just a few years ago. He’d had his beautiful, kind wife and an equally beautiful child. They’d been happy for so long. “And we will be again,” Gabriel’s thoughts transitioned to a verbalization. There were only a few more obstacles he needed to overcome before his wish became a reality. Only a few minor adjustments he needed to make to the world before he welcomed Emilie back into it. One of which being his son. 

Earlier, Gabriel had scrolled through the countless articles being published concerning Adrien. Many new outlets were presenting all the current information on his disappearance they could gather. Others were hypothesizing and guessing who might’ve stolen the boy for ransom. The remaining news outlets were reporting on the latest akuma attacks, commenting on the rush of violence from the akumas and questioning Scarlet Moth’s motives.

It hadn’t mattered which link Gabriel clicked on, he was met with the same face. Be it perfectly staged from a photo shoot or hidden behind a feline-themed black mask, it was identical. Adrien and Chat Noir were one in the same. 

The man hummed quietly as a callous smile peeled his face in two. It hadn’t been very difficult to figure out. He’d seen the entirety of the last attack through the eyes of his failed akuma. He’d seen Chat Noir’s primal rage and the way his eyes glowed blue with ferocity. He’d only ever seen such raw emotion from his son, especially accompanied by the after affects of Amnesia. 

It was hard to ignore his shame in Adrien for being who he was, but there were other matters to focus on at the moment. Opportunities. There were so many opportunities. 

“Don’t worry Emilie. Only a few more hours and you’ll finally be with us once again.” There were just a few snares he’d have to set in place before he pulled the final trigger. He reached forward, stroking the glass cover of the casket where Emilie’s porcelain face remained in a state of peace. 

Scarlet Moth let his hand smoothly drop back down to his side, enjoying one final woefully peaceful moment as he placed the picture back down on the table in the empty room. A second later, he turned sharply on his heel and walked towards the expansive windows. Almost instantly, a figure fell in step directly behind him. The curt, concise clack of the woman’s heels was the only sound that filled the hollow room.

Once his feet found their familiar position on the floor, Scarlet Moth halted abruptly and his assistant instantly stilled next to him. Gabriel smiled. This was absolute loyalty. _This_ is what she should’ve been giving him all along. Nathalie had always said she was with him every step of the way. The moment she faltered from the path he’d laid for her was an act of betrayal against him. Luckily, he’d been there to keep her from drifting too far and had forced her steps in the correct direction once again. 

“Catalyst,” He spoke sharply. 

“Sir.” She replied, not a fragment of expression in her tone. 

“It’s time for you to fulfill the rest of your purpose. And for us to finally achieve our goal.”

“Of course.” She stepped forward, startling all of the butterflies perched delicately on the floor. They flew upwards in a panic, looking for any means of escaping whatever had frightened them. Unfortunately, they were flying straight into the dragon’s den. 

In the blink of an eye, Scarlet Moth whipped his cane through the air, touching each butterfly and infecting it with his red corruption. Within seconds, the bunker was fluttering with akumas, filling the air like a scarlet fog. Gabriel spun around, looking at his beautiful creation. He finally turned to the side of the room, his eyes landing on Catalyst again. She was already standing next to the control dial for the window that loomed above them. 

Scarlet Moth smiled at her, his head tilting ever so slightly to the side. “Well? Release my gift onto the city.” Catalyst did as she was told and the window panes slid into themselves, creating a large opening to the dull outside. He watched as they poured out like blood, drenching Paris without warning. 

He didn’t even need a plan this time. The city was already mourning over the disappearance of their favorite ‘golden child’. Besides, those who weren’t afraid soon would be. Gabriel had once told Ladybug and Chat Noir that he had nothing to lose. Looking back now, that hadn’t been the entire truth. 

No, _now_ he’d lost everything. The childish heroes had taken everything from him. His only son, the remnant of his family, was gone. Gabriel doubted he’d ever return (not of his own volition, at least). Nathalie, his loyal and unwavering assistant had fallen victim to doubt. The heroes had caused her to lose hope in his endgame. She’d been led astray (albeit, temporarily). 

His already wide smile stretched farther, creeping up to his ears. He was Hawk- no, _Scarlet_ Moth, and his power was immeasurable. Forcing Nathalie’s loyalty had been a simple fix, barely a setback at all. He knew the same thing would be said about Adrien. 

With the power of destruction and flooding emotions, the boy was a ticking time bomb. All Gabriel had to do was pull the right wire to cause an explosion. He closed his eyes and remembered Emilie’s still face again. In this instance, the wire was a beautiful blonde with kind, motherly eyes. All he had to do was force Adrien to realize his actions were quite literally killing his mother. Whatever false bravado the boy could conjure would crumble under such a realization. His infectious sorrow would take over from there, allowing Scarlet Moth’s pawns to do the rest of the work. Collecting the miraculous after that would be child’s play. 

He would wish for the return of his happy, perfect family. A wife who was immune to illness, who could move, breathe and live, freed of her glass prison. A son who loved and respected his parents unconditionally and never found their flaws. An assistant who served dutifully, never swaying from the goals she’d been told to achieve. 

Gabriel wasn’t a fool. He knew there would be a price to pay. But that would be someone else’s problem. After all he’d suffered through recently, he deserved peace. He deserved to feel the loving presence of his wife and son. They could walk the gardens surrounding the mansion, basking in the sunlight and enjoying each other’s company. The birds would happily sing in the background. Emilie would squeeze his hand tightly, pouring her love for him through his veins. Adrien would study the gardens, laughing at the pathetic black cat that hid in the bushes. He’d cackle as he inspected the tiny, weak ladybugs that sat on the flowers. Emilie would lean over and whisper a pun, a simple yet elegant play on words. He would laugh, watching as her eyes sparkled with amusement. 

_Seems like we’ve got a few pests in our little Paradise, here. We’d better take care of them before it becomes too cat-aclysmic._

He would laugh. He would love hearing the joke and having her by his side again. He would laugh and laugh to the point where tears would begin to slip from the corners of his eyes. He would continue laughing, plagued by the hilarity of her joke. He would shriek with delight, unable to catch his breath as more, uncontrolled giggles flooded from his throat, threatening to suffocate him if he didn’t stop and breathe deeply soon. 

But he couldn’t stop. 

Scarlet Moth keeled over, collapsing to his knees as his hysterical screams echoed through the bunker. He laughed and he laughed and he laughed. Emilie’s joke was powerfully funny, something only he would understand the irony of. He couldn’t control himself. He couldn’t stop. Her gentle, flowing voice continued to ripple through the room as he cackled, whispering puns and word plays that sung in his favor. 

_Seems we’re the lucky ones now, hmm?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ohhhhhhh, ok y'all. This fic has gotten to the big climax part! I'm expecting 3 more chapters, maybe? I don't currently have them written out, but I want to before I start posting them. That way, I can make sure they flow together, make sense and are the best they can possibly be. I don't plan on updating this fic until December because I need to finish writing it (that's my goal for this month). Once I start posting though, it'll probably be updated once a week. 
> 
> I *will* have this fic done by the end of the year. I'm gonna make that promise to myself and all of you! Thank you so, so much to all of my readers for hanging in there through my awful delays and late postings. What I have planned out is lit so I'm super excited to end this with a bang. As always, thank you so much for reading!!


	26. Limitless

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyooo guess who didn't do what she said she was going to? It's...yeah it's me. I still haven't finished this fic buuut it's because my last semester is kicking my ass lol. Never fear, I still plan on updating weekly. It should be a little easier with classes coming to and end (plus I got over this writer's block-inducing chapter). 
> 
> !! Important: I changed the setting in the second half of the last chapter so Hawkie's little meltdown takes place in the attic rather than the basement. It's not really necessary to go back and read it, just take note that he is not the basement.

“Come in, you two.” The response came even before Adrien’s hand connected with the door. After a fast shared glance, Marinette reached down and did as she was told. Once it was open, Adrien gestured for her to enter first and she did, taking notice of Master Fu sitting on his mat in his sleepwear, looking as if he’d just sat up from deep REM. After much, _much_ deliberation, her parents had allowed her and Adrien to make an emergency trip to their mentor. Not only did they need the bee miraculous for Chloe, but Marinette was hoping she could sneak in a few more questions to calm her nerves. 

Adrien turned slightly to close the door entirely once they'd both crossed the threshold, but the old man’s voice interrupted his actions. “And the other three.” Silence was the only response for a moment while Marinette sent Adrien a questioning glance. He answered it wordlessly before the door pushed back against him. He moved to let it open once again, revealing Alya followed closely by Nino and Chloe. 

Marinette did a quick double take between her mentor and the auxiliary heroes. “But Master-”

He held up a hand to silence her. “It’s alright, Ladybug. The time for hiding and secrets is over. I know what you’re here for, and I know what you plan to do on this day. Or, _night,_ I suppose.” Master Fu blinked and pushed himself to his feet, his grogginess clouding his typically clairvoyant tone of voice. Without Marinette even having to say anything, he approached the gramophone and released the miracle box from within. The room was silent as he turned around, offering her the bee miraculous. 

She took it gingerly, still not knowing quite how to react. After all this time of hiding himself away, it was a bit of a shock to have Master Fu suddenly reveal his identity freely. “Master Fu-” She tried again but was cut off. 

“Marinette, I understand there isn’t much time. I can feel the usage of the butterfly miraculous. Hawkmoth is about to strike and you five need to be prepared to take him down-” his eyes drifted to Adrien’s. “-no matter what.” Adrien just nodded sadly in response. The guardian looked out across all of the heroes now, his eyes stern. “Can I trust you?”

“Absolutely,” Alya’s confident voice filled the room first. Nino nodded along with her. 

“We’re the heroes of Paris, aren’t we?” Chloe looked down on the small man in front of them, raising one eyebrow incredulously. 

“Good.” Master Fu nodded back at all of them. “You all have a role to play, both today and in the future.” Marinette watched with something like pride as her fellow heroes listened to the guardian. They’d come so far from where they’d began and even if tonight went terribly, she would still be proud of everything they’d accomplished. Master Fu looked on the auxiliary heroes, but his eyes lingered on Nino’s for a moment longer than the others. Only Marinette was close enough to hear him hum quietly, though she had little idea as to why. 

“And as for you two,” He looked up to his chosen Ladybug and Chat Noir. “I feel you will be tested, both now and in the years to come. Never forget that your strength comes from one another. No matter what happens, vow that you’ll always support each other.

Adrien stepped forward, grabbing Marinette’s hand. “Always, Master.” The girl nodded alongside her partner, a confident smile gracing her face for a moment. But as quickly as it appeared, it fell off. 

“Master-” she started again, but cut herself off this time. It felt like she had so much to ask him. There were too many things to say and it was impossible to put them all into words. They hadn’t even discussed what had happened with the akuma earlier in the day, much less how they planned to best Hawkmoth and what they should do afterwards. 

“Marinette.” Master Fu spoke, holding the girl’s gaze firmly. “There will be much to come, but if anyone can handle the pressure, it’s you. Never forget that I chose you for a reason and you have only ever exceeded my expectations. I know you view yourself as inadequate, but I assure you, you are the only one who does. You, Ladybug, will reach amazing heights.”

She smiled, tears beginning to form in the corners of her eyes. She didn’t like how this sounded like a goodbye. “Thank you, Master.”

The guardian smiled softly back before coughing and turning his attention back to the entire room. “There will be much to discuss in the morning. Now go. Save Paris.”

Marinette didn’t need to be told twice.

**************

They hadn’t made it a block before sounds of destruction and screaming ripped their way across Paris. The teens whipped around suddenly to glance behind them. Adrien’s heart fell to his feet as soon as he saw the scarlet cloud looming above them.

“Dude…” Nino breathed out beside him, gripping Alya fiercely. 

More akumas than Adrien had ever seen rained down on the unsuspecting city of Paris. Sure, Hawkmoth might’ve been limited to those experiencing strong negative emotions, but how many people were suffering from nightmares right now? How many people were frustrated with their night shift or insomnia? How many victims could Hawkmoth create in just a few, short moments? Even if the majority of Parisians fought off the akumas, there were sure to be enough akumatized people to overrun the heroes. 

Already, dark purple clouds were bubbling up all along the street. Streams of red akumas veered off their main path and poured down into the apartments and businesses below. The few people out at this time of night were already frantically screaming and fleeing the scene. Unfortunately, their panic was only fueling the akuma’s power. Within seconds, Adrien watched almost everyone in his field of view fall victim to Gabriel’s corruption. 

A surge of panic and uncertainty washed over him; absolute terror that he would be next. That Gabriel would akumatize him and force him to return to that cold prison. He was terrified that he would be locked up forever, never allowed to see those he truly loved ever again. 

Marinette grabbed his hand suddenly, clenching it tightly. She searched his eyes as the cloud drew nearer, threatening the five vulnerable heroes on the sidewalk. But where Adrien was weak, Marinette was brave. With one look, she pumped courage through his veins. Their situation wasn’t ideal, especially considering they hadn’t planned to play defense today. Already, they’d have to scrap their strategy and start coming up with a new one on the fly. 

But wasn’t that what they always did?

It was like Master Fu had said: as long as he had Marinette by his side, Adrien was at his strongest. They’d get through this, just like they always had. 

“You and me?”

“Against the world,” Marinette finished his thought and they smiled at one another, the world of chaos stopping for a moment around them. Marinette reached out for Alya. The redhead looked surprised, but incredibly level headed as she accepted the gesture. Adrien followed his partner’s lead and held out for Chloe. The girl placed her hand in his quickly as she glanced uneasily at the looming cloud above them. Another hand reached out for her and Chloe looked up to see Nino extending the offer to complete the circle. More hesitantly, she accepted it, bringing the final connection to their ring. 

All five heroes held on to each other as they watched the scarlet akumas flood over them. Out of costume, there wasn’t much they could do at the moment other than remain calm. The moment they allowed emotions to get the best of them was the moment the heroes lost. So they held onto each other tightly, keeping one another in check as the threat passed over ever so slowly. 

“Why do I feel like there’s a lot more than last time?” Alya watched collectedly as the cloud of akumas floated further away from them. 

“Probably because Gabriel’s desperate. I bet he’s thrown every last butterfly he had out to do his dirty work. Typical.” Adrien was surprised at the levels of anger in his own voice, but he knew this wasn’t an overreaction caused by the Amnesia serum. This was just a regular emotion he hadn’t been allowed to feel before, according to his father. Not anymore, though. Every awful thing that man stood for was ending tonight, one way or another. 

“I don’t know about you guys, but I think this is our cue. Everyone ready?” Marinette gleamed back at everyone, strangely happy in the face of such danger. Maybe she was forcing herself to smile as a strategy to keep the butterflies away from her, Adrien thought. She always was the clever one.

“Absolutely, ‘Nette. Let’s go kick some old man butt.” Nino broke their circle to punch his fist out, already reaching to fiddle with his bracelet. 

“Gabriel’s going to learn just how painful the sting of a bee is!”Chloe flipped her hair as she reached a hand up and tucked her comb into her hair. 

“Then let’s not waste anymore time.” Marinette held Adrien’s hand tightly as she rushed down the nearest alleyway. The chain followed their movements and within seconds, a flurry of different lights chased the shadows around them away. Adrien looked around at his friends, all masked and suited up, putting their lives on the line for _him_. It was more than he ever could have asked. 

“Rena Rogue,” he called out suddenly. Alya instantly brought her eyes up to meet his. “I need you to keep these safe for the time being.” Adrien handed her the glasses of the horse miraculous. The girl clearly questioned his motives but still accepted them gently. 

“Why?”

Adrien chuckled softly. “Because the power of teleportation might come in handy, but I’m not going to be the one who uses it.”

Alya smiled back. 

Marinette glanced up at him and narrowed her eyes before widening them and glancing over to Alya. She shrugged. “Just go with it.”

“Call me sentimental, but fighting with just one miraculous feels like the right way to go tonight. I want to face my father as me, without any further disguises.” Everyone nodded sadly at his words and sent silent looks of agreement. 

Marinette respectfully let the emotion hang in the air for a moment before she had to continue. “Alright getting down to business: I don’t think we’re going to be able to fight all these akumas. It’s not worth the risk of losing one of us in a pointless battle when we all need to work together to take down Hawk- er... _Scarlet_ Moth, probably. I don’t want to give him the opportunity to divide and conquer us. Remember: it’s _him_ who’s going to surrender his miraculous today, not us.” Adrien couldn’t help but silently laugh at his partner’s words. Despite her seriousness, she couldn’t hide the fact that she loved theatrics just as much as he did. 

She looked up at him suddenly, as if she were able to hear his thoughts. “I say we cut them off at the source.” 

“Sounds like a plan,” Adrien nodded back. 

“Which means Alya, you’re up.” Ladybug turned back to the rest of the group. “You’re going to set us up in the Agreste mansion, right outside of Gabriel’s office.”

“What about the secret bunker or whatever? Doesn’t it make more sense that he’d be there?” Queen Bee loudly spoke up. 

The group was silent for a moment as they all awaited Marinette’s answer. She turned to Adrien again. “Where do you think it’s more probable for him to be?”

Adrien chewed the inside of his lip for a moment before answering. “Well, I rarely saw him transformed outside the basement. I have a feeling he prefers to stay hidden away down there. I think Chloe’s right.”

“Queen Bee!” The girl interjected. 

Chat smiled. “Sorry, Queen Bee.”

Ladybug shrugged in a small gesture. “Okay, works for me. Rena, you ready?”

“Girl, you know I was born ready.” The fox heroine placed the glasses on her face, a fast zip of energy ripped across them, changing their shape and style. 

“Now just focus on the new power you can feel within the glasses. Call it just as you would call your regular transformation and feel them as two separate powers you now control.” Ladybug instinctively reached out and placed a hand on her friend’s shoulder, guiding her just as Master Fu had done for Adrien. “You got this.” Another flash illuminated the alleyway and a new hero appeared before her. 

Alya’s hair had already been pulled back but it was tighter now and more clean without the strands framing her face. The bright color of her suit darkened to a burnt orange, somewhere between her typical carrot color and the darker brown of the horse miraculous. The coat tail disappeared and left her with her two weapons pinned to her back. The black accents were now replaced with a bright cyan blue and the glasses turned black over her eyes, acting as her mask. The girl looked down at herself and smirked, clearly pleased with herself. 

Chat held his hand up and Alya immediately returned the gesture. The high-fived normally, dropped their hands down and repeated the action horizontally and then shot finger guns at each other in unison. Alya smiled widely and turned her attention to Ladybug. “Rena Jumet, at your service.”

“Looking good, Rena,” Nino winked at his girlfriend, earning a small blush in return. 

“Okay, you know the atrium in my house and the office off to the side?” Chat spoke to Rena Jumet and she nodded back easily. “The bunker is directly under the office. Imagine that space, about 10 meters beneath the floor. There’s a strange garden area and a metal bridge all hovering over a floor of water.” Adrien knew it would be easier for him to be the one to teleport them. There was a much smaller margin of error if he did. But something deep down was telling him to give the responsibility over. It’s like a tiny voice in the back of his mind was convincing him that he only needed the black cat miraculous: it was just the right way to go. 

Rena Jumet’s eyes were closed tightly. “I’m probably imagining it incorrectly, but I think I can feel a connection to a space there. What do I do next?”

Ladybug took up the lead. “Just as you’d use Mirage, use the power of teleportation. Call out ‘Voyage’ and extend your fist forward. Imagine a portal opening in front of you, taking you exactly where you want to go.”

Adrien was going to speak up again to offer more tips when Alya punched the air in front of her. “Voyage!” Immediately, a spinning blue vortex appeared before them. Rena opened her eyes and looked at Marinette. “Is that right?”

The girl turned her head towards Chat, asking him the same answer. He shrugged. It looked right. “Well,” Ladybug smiled uneasily at the others. “I guess there’s only one way to find out. Everyone ready? We have no idea what awaits us on the other side of this.”

“Always, Ladybug.” Chloe was the only one who verbally answered. 

“Then let’s do this.”

***************

The portal hovered a little higher than ground level, causing each of the heroes to stumble a bit as they entered the cavernous bunker. The metal bridge beneath them clanged loudly with their footsteps as the vortex swirled to a close behind them. Even though he couldn’t see them behind him, Adrien could feel everyone taking in their surroundings with awe. He’d described this place to him, but nothing could recreate the sense of disbelief one felt when actually seeing it. It was still difficult to fully accept that it existed. 

Their hesitation lasted only a moment, before all five heroes snapped into a defensive position, the three auxiliary heroes flanking Ladybug and Chat. They stayed on guard, waiting for some sort of attack, but none ever came. The bunker remained deadly quiet, save for their quiet, hastened breathing. The room was painfully still and Adrien could tell his teammate’s eyes shifted over to his mother’s sealed capsule. There was no reason for anyone to ask what it was; they already knew. The real question was-

“Dude where the hell is Mothman? Or his evil minion?” Carapace’s whisper echoed through the air, breaking the silence of everything. The tension in all of their bodies eased slightly, everyone dropping their guard minutely. 

Chat looked around, anxiety-fueled panic running through his tone. “I...I don’t know. He should be-”

“Adrien.” The voice flooded his senses suddenly, a surge of adrenaline coursed through his veins at the new threat. The heroes instantly fell back into formation, each holding their respective weapons fiercely. The figure hesitantly emerged from behind the golden case, holding her hands up. It was someone Adrien had never seen before. An akuma they’d never battled. But even so, she was strangely familiar. 

The figure tried to smile, but the emotion felt cold and meaningless. A large black and red helmet covered the upper half of her face, leaving the heroes to decipher her facial expression from the mouth down. Her boots were thick and seamlessly flowed into the rest of her red and black outfit. The jagged design lines that cut across her body seemed strangely placed in terms of design, but maybe that was the point. Maybe her appearance was intentionally unnerving. 

“Adrien. I’ve been waiting for you.” She spoke again, the toneless nature of her voice finally striking a cord of recognition within Adrien’s mind. 

“Nathalie?” He asked with a dawning sense of horror. Sure, he’d seen Gabriel akumatize his assistant before, plenty of times. But something about this seemed different. Adrien had no idea what powers she might possess or what role she was playing in Scarlet Moth’s evil plan. Only one thing was certain: her presence meant trouble. 

“Where’s Hawkmoth?” Ladybug’s icy tone rang out, stopping the woman from answering Adrien’s inquiry. 

“He’ll be here soon. You don’t have much time.” It should’ve been a threat, but it sounded more like...a warning? Although frigidly blank, her voice carried a tone of desperation, as if she were actually _worried_ about them. 

“That doesn’t answer the question, lady.” Rena had dropped her second transformation once they’d all made it through, her body not yet ready to handle two subsequent Voyages. The glasses remained perched on her face.

“Where. Is. Hawkmoth?” Ladybug asked again, her voice hardening like steel as it flowed from her mouth and touched the air. 

“Please, his connection with me is weaker, but it won’t be long until he notices you’re down here. But I want to help you. I want to help you defeat him.” Her voice remained monotone throughout her pleading. 

Queen Bee scoffed. “Yeah right. Like this isn’t some ruse to get us to trust you just so you can trap us. What, do you think we were born yesterday?”

“I know how it looks, but I’m being true. Gabriel is beyond help or redemption. He needs to be stopped. Adrien, I’m so sor-”

“No one wants to hear your lies anymore, Nathalie. If you were really on our side, you’d surrender your akuma for Ladybug to purify.” Adrien cut her off. His friends were right. She couldn’t be trusted.

The woman took a step back. “I...I can’t do that.”

“Exactly.” Ladybug continued for him. 

“But I’m not going to fight you.”

“She’s just stalling us, LB. Take her down.” Nino whispered from behind them. 

“Truly, I want to use my powers to help you. My name is Catalyst and I can do for all of you what I did to Hawkmoth.” The woman remained where she was, her hands still held in the air, clearly trying to remain unthreatening. 

“And what exactly did you do to him?” Adrien heard the curiosity in Marinette’s voice, though she kept it focused and serious. 

“I have the ability to boost your powers; to free you all of your restrictions. Right now, Gabriel is Scarlet Moth. He can release as many akumas as he pleases and eventually they’ll overwhelm you. Unless I boost all of you, too. Please, you have to let me try.”

“Sure. Because you’d go to all of that trouble of terrorizing Paris just to have a sudden change of heart at the end. Makes perfect sense.” Chloe spit at the woman, sounding just as betrayed as Adrien felt. 

“I’m being honest. Please, he’s starting to sense your presence through our connection. You have to let me help you, quickly.”

They remained silent for a moment, everyone waiting for someone else to speak up. Or, really, everyone waiting for Ladybug to speak up. Catalyst remained exactly as she was, her head held perfectly straight on her shoulders. There was no emotion, no pleading tone in her voice. And yet...Adrien wanted to trust her. 

But he couldn’t. He couldn’t trust anyone except those who stood by his side now. Nathalie had done unspeakable things to him and this city. Maybe he used to be innocent enough to excuse behavior like this. Not anymore, though. He’d been betrayed enough by those he held dearest. No more second chances. 

Ladybug looked to him for confirmation quickly before calling back to Catalyst. “We function perfectly fine as we are, thank you very much. Now, if you’re not going to tell us where your boss is, then I have no choice but to purify you. I’m giving you one last chance. Where is Gabriel Agreste?”

Catalyst shook her head. “You’re just like your partner. Looks like we’ll have to do this the hard way, then. She instantly snapped into action, running towards the heroes with unexpected power. She leaped at Ladybug, reaching a hand out to grab her yo-yo. The heroine instinctually dodged the attack, Catalyst missing her by centimeters as the girl swerved to the side. Instead, the akuma crashed into Queen Bee, knocking them both to the ground. 

Chloe cried out, sounding more annoyed than anything as Catalyst grabbed her stinger on the side of her hip. “No!” she yelped as dark, red energy poured into her weapon. A gleam of light rushed up her body, changing her costume to include maroon accents and a strip of the same color in her hair. 

“Get off her!” Rena rushed forward now, swinging her flute to protect Queen Bee. Catalyst caught the weapon with ease, doing exactly the same thing to the fox heroine. She thrust her arm out behind her as Carapace slammed down his shield. It didn’t seem possible, but she brought the attack to a dead halt, her tiny hand catching the shield as if it was weightless. A similar red light zipped over both heroes, changing only minor details on their suits to the blood-red color. Other than that, though, they remained the same. 

Ladybug and Chat Noir brought their weapons up in front of them for protection, ready to fight off whatever curse she’d probably placed upon their teammates. This was bad. This was really, really bad. They’d already lost more than half of their manpower and Hawkmoth hadn’t even shown his face. Were they really that badly outmatched? Is this how the protectors of Paris were to be defeated? Doubts of failure began creeping into Adrien’s thoughts before he could stop them.

“Please. Let me help you, too.” She stood up, reaching her hand out to the two remaining heroes. Behind her Queen Bee, Rena Rogue and Carapace all looked themselves over. Adrien kept one eye on them and one eye on Catalyst creeping ever-so-slowly towards him. 

“Are you okay?” Rena reached and helped Queen Bee to her feet. 

“I actually...feel great.” Chloe looked at her hands in disbelief. At the words, Catalyst turned around and nodded, no hints of a smile on her face. 

“Yeah dude, same.” Nino inspected his shield, deep red accents running across the blocky pattern like grout in a tile floor. He looked up to Adrien, confusion clouding his expression. Ladybug stopped spinning her yo-yo and Chat eased his grip slightly on his baton. 

“I’m not lying. I only wish to help you. Please, he’s coming.” Catalyst looked at Adrien, staring deeply into his eyes, scavenging for some semblance of trust. But there was none left. Not for her anyway. 

“No,” Adrien took another step back and Catalyst shook her head. 

“The hard way it is, then.” She lunged forward, only to be stopped by a shimmering green force field. 

“Shellter!” Echoed loudly through the cavern as Carapace threw his power over Ladybug and Chat. 

“ _NO!_ ” Catalyst screamed as she slammed her fists against the shield. “Let me help you!” Now Adrien was starting to hear notes of actual desperation start to kick in. Even this emotionless manipulator was panicking now. The elevator whirred to life suddenly, the machine grinding against itself as the platform was lifted into the air, slowly moving back up stairs. Even if she was lying about helping them, she didn’t seem to be lying about Scarlet Moth coming for them. Or, at least, _someone_ was here.

“Why should we trust you?” Ladybug yelled back, stepping right up to the edge of the shelter. “All you’ve ever done is lie to everyone around, terrorize Paris and hurt Adrien. None of those sound like redeeming qualities to me.”

Catalyst huffed out angrily before turning quickly to her left and grabbing Carapace’s shoulder. She pulled his body around in front of her and held him firmly. Nino, who hadn’t been expecting the attack whatsoever, had no time to react. His shield fell from his hands and with it, Shellter disintegrated. Everyone lurched forward, reaching out to help him. Of course, they should’ve known better. As soon as the shield was down, Nathalie released Carapace and lunged for the now unprotected heroes. Just as they realized her mistake, she reached out and grabbed Ladybug’s yoyo and Chat’s baton. 

Adrien’s vision filled with a flash of the deep red that had overtaken his friends. He felt something inside him unlock. It was as if he’d been wearing a bulletproof vest all his life and someone had finally come up and unstrapped it from his body. He felt lighter, more free, and more capable than he ever had been before. The experience lasted a fraction of a second and the glow in his vision disappeared just as quickly. Adrien wildly looked down at his suit, noticing the red accents zipping through the natural seams the costume: around his shoulder, down the zipper, around his belt. Whatever she’d done had unfortunately worked.

Adrien glanced over to Marinette, meeting her eyes instantly. He glanced down at her costume and noticed about every third spot was now a deep maroon color. It clashed harshly against the vibrant red of the rest of her suit. Without another word, they both drew a defensive position again. “What did you do?” Chat demanded, his voice filled with hostility. 

“I’m helping you win.” Catalyst almost, _almost_ smiled at them before suddenly reaching up and gripping her head in her hands. She cried out and stumbled backwards. Rena, Carapace and Queen Bee all moved to the side of the bridge, not daring to reach out and touch her. Whatever she’d done hadn’t _felt_ harmful or even infringing. In fact, Adrien _did_ feel better. He felt more powerful. But that didn’t mean she hadn’t done something to dampen their powers. It was all Hawkmoth’s magic, meaning it could all be manipulative power. Adrien didn’t trust it and from the looks on everyone’s faces, none of his friends did, either. 

Eventually, Catalyst fell to her knees. Between her whimpers of pain she muttered something, though Chat wasn’t exactly sure what it was. The elevator began whirring again, except the platform was moving downwards this time. Scarlet Moth appeared in the glass tube, eyes locking on his opponents as soon as they were visible to them. 

“Fall back to our defensive positions and hold our ground. It ends here.” Ladybug’s commanding voice filled the bunker, snapping her teammates into action. Carapace collected his shield and ran behind Chat, standing behind him on his right hand side. Rena Rogue followed, placing herself just to the left of and behind Ladybug. Chloe moved around all of them, taking a position directly behind the middle of Ladybug and Chat.

“I’ll paralyze him, Ladybug. He won’t even get the chance to fight back.” Chloe held her stinger as an extension of her hand, more than ready to strike. 

“I think that’s our best option.” She risked taking her eyes off Hawkmoth for a second as she turned and spoke to them. “Clear a pathway for Queen Bee. Her Venom is the best chance we have. Carapace, you’ve already used shelter so stay behind as auxiliary with Rena. Chat and I will go at him full force.”

“Roger that, Ladybug.” Rena nodded confidently to her best friend, though a look of uneasiness flowed over her features. 

“We’re gonna make this old man pay for what he’s done to Paris. And us.” Nino smiled at Ladybug but his focus quickly shifted to Adrien, who solemnly nodded back. Part of him instinctively tried to scold his best friend in defense of Gabriel. But it was clear that the man’s loyalties lied far, far away from his son. No more apologies, no more forgiveness, no more justifying or excuses. 

No more. 

“Let’s end this.” Chat agreed firmly. 

The elevator clicked to a stop and the glass door slid open. Scarlet Moth stepped out easily, his movements slow and fluid. Catalyst was still kneeling on the ground, clutching her head in pain. The man in front of them stepped up to her side, but didn’t bother addressing his assistant on the ground. “I must admit, I’m surprised. Not only did the children find enough faux bravery to try and defeat me directly, but my own servant betrayed me. Though, seeing as you’ve done it before, I suppose I should’ve seen it coming.” Scarlet Moth didn’t even look at Catalyst as he spoke to her with disrespect.

Was this all an act? Scarlet Moth had to have set Nathalie up to this, right? It had to have been a way of making the heroes feel overconfident. Gabriel was playing psychological warfare, just as he always had. But then why did this feel so different? Adrien wasn’t sure if his instinct to trust Nathalie’s actions came from a place of reason or a place of habit. He didn’t have time to figure it out, either. 

“Enough, Gabriel. We know everything and we’ve already spoken to the police. It ends today. Now, give us your miraculous.” Ladybug held out her hand, palm up. She spoke with controlled anger and reason, though Chat could easily see millions of other emotions bubbling beneath the surface. She was doing an amazing job of focusing on what was most critical at the moment, but Chat knew she was close to snapping. It wasn’t often he’d seen that look on her face, but he _had_ seen it. On Ladybug’s bad side was a terrifying place to be. 

“Still so young. Still so novice. You may have found me first, Ladybug, but that doesn’t mean you haven’t walked into your defeat.” He smiled cruelly and unnaturally, his breathing much faster than it should’ve been for someone standing more or less at a resting pace. Adrien furrowed his eyebrows as he watched the scene before him. This was the first time he’d seen his father in days, the first time he’d seen his father since Nathalie undoubtedly revealed his identity. It was the first time he’d seen his abuser since he realized everything and Ladybug had healed him of his wounds. 

It felt like the truest version of Adrien was finally laying his eyes on the truest version of the man that used to be his family. All Adrien could see was madness. 

“No.” Adrien’s voice gripped the attention of the others in the room, demanding everyone watch him and heed his words. “You’re done, Gabriel. You’re done terrorizing everyone in this city. You’re done terrorizing me, and you’re done terrorizing mom. Surrender your miraculous or we’ll take it from you by force.”

The man simply clicked his tongue with amusement. “Oh, Adrien, always so dramatic. When will you learn that I’m not your enemy. I’m simply trying to protect you from the dangers of the world.” Adrien sneered in anger. Everything this man said sounded like a lie. 

“Oh yeah?” Chat quipped back, his grip tightening on his staff. He’d heard enough from Scarlet Moth. It was time to throw him in jail where no one could hear his manipulative voice. “And what exactly are the ‘dangers’ of the world, if not yourself?”

The sound of shattering glass filled the room as a hoard of moths filled the bunker, moving fluidly like a blood red tidal wave crashing down on the sandy shore below. They fluttered quickly towards the heroes, bringing with them a flood of fear, and panic. They were seconds away from getting swept away by it all, allowing very minimal time for them to get their emotions under control. 

Chat stood there, staring at the surge of akumas that very well could’ve spelled their defeat. He tried to push any doubt or anxiety from his mind, but he already felt unstable after the brief confrontation with Gabriel. Even as the akumas drew nearer, Adrien could’ve sworn he heard his father answering the question that had been hanging in the air. 

“The real enemies are your emotions, son. Just as I’ve always told you they were.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The reckoning is coming, old man. Just you wait. Next chapter...maybe. (Also, there's no logical explanation for why a bunch of butterflies should be capable of breaking a window like that but I did it to be dramatic. No shame.)
> 
> So I definitely thought I was going to get to a certain point with this chapter but then the word count was too high and it ended on such a nice little cliff hanger so I just left it. Bottom line being: I'm still not sure how much longer I'm gonna drag this out lol. I've never been good at being concise. Regardless, I'll see you all next week with another update! Thanks for reading!
> 
> (Also I'm running on like an hour of sleep rn so if I missed something during my pathetic excuse of an editing process just lmk!)


	27. Miraculous Catastrophe

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick moment of celebration: this chapter officially marks the fic reaching over 100,000 words! I definitely didn't expect it to get this far, so I'm super excited. Anyway, here's chapter 27!

“Shellter!” The familiar green forcefield appeared over the five heroes just as the flood of butterflies threatened to wash over them.

Marinette shot her head towards Carapace, everyone copying her movements. “How did you do that?” He’d already used his power, a second Shellter shouldn't have been possible. Marinette knew the auxiliary miraculous were weaker and it was technically possible for someone their age to call on the power more than once. But Nino shouldn’t have worked up that kind of stamina, not with how infrequently they called him to duty. Minutes ago, Rena hadn’t been able to sustain her transformation for more than a few moments after using Voyage and she’d had much more experience than Carapace. 

Nino looked around, his goggles greatly emphasizing how much his eyes bulged as he observed the scene. “Dude, I have no idea. It was definitely an ‘oh shit’ kinda instinct.” He still held his shield above his head, as if the position were bracing the power. Despite not being able to break through, the butterflies continued fluttering into the forcefield. Within seconds, they’d been surrounded by the cloud of scarlet akumas, unable to see anything other than red outside their small, protected area. 

“Do you think...” Adrien began but never finished as he looked at everyone. His eyes hovered over small, red elements of the heroes’ costumes. “Do you think she actually helped us?” His eyes darted back and forth, unsure what to believe now. 

“It’s unlikely, but that seems the only explanation.” Rena scanned her eyes over Carapace briefly before looking over to Ladybug. “We can’t hide in here forever, though. We need a plan.”

“I know.” Marinette pulled her hands up to her forehead. She didn’t have time right now to determine whether or not Nathalie was _back_ to being a good person. Well, maybe less good and more neutral. Either way, she still wasn’t willing to trust the woman. The chances were incredibly minute, but it was possible that Nino had simply become strong enough to use his power twice. Although the timing of it all was a little too perfect to really be a coincidence.

Ugh, she was getting off topic again. A plan. They needed a plan….to defeat Hawkmoth. They were currently trapped and the moment the shield fell they’d all probably be akumatized and they needed a brilliant, ingenious plan to take down the terrorist of Paris like _right now_ except Marinette was having the hardest time focusi-

“Anything, Ladybug? We don’t have all day here!” Queen Bee waved her hand in front of Ladybug, pulling her out of her spiraling thoughts. 

“Do you think it would work if we all just think happy thoughts? That’s saved us before, right?” Carapace suggested, though he looked to be doubting the idea even as it left his mouth. It was a solid suggestion and the only one Marinette had at the moment, but it wasn’t sustainable. If they tried to fight Hawkmoth surrounded by this many scarlet akumas, anything could go wrong. A single moment of doubt could compromise anyone of them, turning them against their allies. Marinette wasn’t willing to risk any of them and she certainly wasn’t willing to risk what might happen if Hawkmoth akumatized either her or Chat. One of the most powerful miraculous being used for evil like that...even the thought made her shutter. 

She shook her head, realizing Nino was still awaiting her response. “I don’t think so. That would just be avoiding the problem. We need to deal with the akumas head on. We need to-” Ladybug whipped her head over to Chat. His green eyes grew with concern the moment he realized what she was about to say next. “We need to destroy them."

Chat Noir laughed uneasily, already sending her the ‘ _please tell me you’re joking because this is a really bad idea but I don’t have a better idea to suggest so I know we’re going to end up doing your plan but I’m still going to hope that this is just some sort of twisted prank_ ’ look. The edges of his smile spread outwards and upwards in an uncomfortable grin. The edges of his mask moved with the muscles of his eyebrows and furrowed downwards. “Something tells me my-” he mouthed the word ‘cataclysm’ rather than saying it, “-isn’t going to cover this one.”

“I’m not talking about your Cataclysm, Chat.”

All the blood drained from his face. 

“Wait, no. You’re not suggesting-” Carapace spoke up from behind her, the only other witness to the terrifying power that the black cat miraculous held. 

“I am. It’s the only way. Plus, this time you’re totally in control. It’s just going to destroy the akumas, no one will be in harm's way.”

Adrien was frantically shaking his head. “No. This is _not_ a good idea. I said I was never going to use this-”

“-unless it was absolutely necessary.” Marinette finished the sentence for him. “Which, I think circumstances are becoming more and more dire.” The flapping of the akumas was so unbelievably _loud_ but through the endless, deafening fluttering, Marinette could’ve sworn she heard Scarlet Moth laughing. Even the few bits of the sound she was able to make out made her skin crawl. He was distrubed, that much was obvious. He wanted Adrien back, which was not something Marinette was going to allow. She had a duty to her partner. And they had a duty to their city. “We need to protect Paris, Chat. And this is our best chance.”

“My lady, who knows how many people have already been akumatized. What is my storm going to do to them? What if Glaciator has already turned people into ice cream, or what if Dark Knight has already created an army?? I can’t be responsible for all of that...collateral.” He looked up at her with the biggest, unintentional kitten eyes she’d ever seen. Adrien hadn’t even seen the damage he’d caused after the last akuma. He wasn’t scared of the consequences of using his Catastrophic ability. He was scared of the mere _idea_ of using it. 

“He’s right, Ladybug.” Queen Bee stepped forward, reaching out for Chat and resting her hand on his bicep. “Besides, what if Mayura or Nathalie or whoever she is right now was telling the truth? What if she made you guys more powerful than you already were?”

Adrien picked up the sentiment. “All of our powers would be enhanced. Including your Cure and my Storm.”

“What would a supercharged Cataclysmic storm even do?” Rena chimed in, looking to Ladybug for the answer. Unfortunately for all of them, Marinette didn’t have the answer this time. She really wished people would stop assuming she did. 

“I...I don’t know, okay? I don’t know what’s going to happen. But I _can_ tell you what’ll happen if we sit here and do nothing. We’re the last line of defense for Paris, and this is our last chance. Even if Carapace can hold the shield forever, we can’t let innocent Parisians suffer because of our cowardice. We have to try something!” She looked around to the faces of her friends. Alya, of course, set her jaw and silently agreed with her almost immediately. Chloe looked at Adrien for a moment before withdrawing her hand and nodding at Ladybug. That was the majority, at least. “Chat Noir?” She turned to her ride-or-die partner, though that phrasing was a bit _too_ literal for her taste at the moment. 

“I-” he looked out across the faces of his teammates, analyzing them one by one. He hovered over Nino’s subtly shaking head before he turned back to Marinette. “Only if you do it with me.”

Ladybug’s foot took a step back despite her mind sending no signals to do so. “What?”

“Your cure can offset any damages I might cause. If we call for them simultaneously, they’ll work in our favor, I’m sure of it.” The look he gave her was desperate. Of course Marinette understood why, but was it worth the risk? If they tried this and it didn’t work in their favor, there was no way of knowing if she’d be able to call for her cure again. What if half of Paris was destroyed and she couldn’t fix it?

“M’lady...Please.” The look in his eye was something she’d seen before, but only as of late. He was asking for help- something he never used to do. “Creation and Destruction are meant to balance each other out, just like us. You and I against the world. I need you.”

And she needed him. 

The truth was, she was scared. Nothing was revealing itself as part of a solution at the moment and she had no other plans. There was no guarantee any of this would work. She was terrified. But the trust for her partner ran deeper than her fear. 

“Us against the world. As always.” His smile was the only sign she needed to know she’d made the right choice.

“Ladybug,” Rena filled the name with apprehension. “Are you sure this is the right move? You have no idea what might happen. Are you sure _now_ is the best time to try something like this?”

“I’m with the fox.” Queen nodded her head towards Rena. “As much as it pains me to admit that, I think she’s right. We need a better plan. One that involves all of us.”

Marinette turned her head towards Carapace, his face still taught with the pressure of maintaining his Shellter. She raised her eyebrows as a silent ask for his opinion, though she already knew what he was going to say. Out of all of them, Nino definitely seemed the most panicked about Chat’s whole super-destructo setting. Marinette was fairly certain Nino wouldn’t willingly support his best friend doing something like that. Being as protective as he was, he certainly wasn’t about to let two of his best friends try something as wild and dangerous as this stunt. Golden amber eyes searched the faces of his team members before he replied. “If Ladybug and Chat Noir think it’s the best course of action, then we go with their idea. They’ve successfully protected us this long. I have faith in them.”

Surprise, surprise. 

“Three against two. It’s now or never, bug.” Chat Noir held out his hand to Ladybug, pleading again with his eyes that she take it. 

Of course, she took it. 

“Ok, Carapace, I want you to release the Shellter and then immediately put it up again for the three of you. Chat and I are going to call our respective powers as soon as we’re outside the shield, but I don’t want any of you to get akumatized or…” _or suffer the consequences of whatever’s about to happen_. It didn’t seem very logical to say something like that out loud, but everyone seemed to understand well enough. 

“I hope this is right, Mari.” Rena’s use of her real name (even just partially) was a huge risk that no one had ever taken before. Maybe this is why Master Fu had insisted everyone remain anonymous. But if Marinette said the familiarity of her civilian name didn’t calm her down at least a little bit, she’d be lying. 

“Good luck. I’m standing by with my stinger and - fair warning - if I see an opening to go for Gabriel, I’m taking it.” Queen Bee pulled her spinner up and held an offensive position. 

“Thanks, Queenie,” Chat smiled warmly at his friend who’s face immediately contorted at the new nickname. “Ready for this, milady?” He held Marinette’s hand tighter. 

“Ready, Chaton.” Ladybug turned to Carapace. “Release it on the count of three and put it back up _immediately_. If Shellter doesn’t work, get the hell out of here. It’s not worth losing all of you.”

Nino nodded, the color of his power reflecting off his goggles and making his eyes glow green. “You dudes got this. See you on the other side.” 

_Ready?_

Ladybug’s hand tightened around her yo-yo.

_One…_

Chat gripped his staff.

_Two…_

They held onto each other for dear life. 

_Three._

The shield fell, flooding Marinette’s senses with a sudden rush of cold air. She faintly heard Carapace crying out again for his Shellter followed by the sound of something appearing from nothing. _Good. At least they were safe_. 

As soon as the barrier keeping the akumas out was gone though, the moths immediately took notice of the defenseless victims below them. The insects moved fluidly as if they all had one collective mind. Somewhere behind the wave a man shouted with joy and laughed as if he were simply watching slapstick. Ladybug tightened her grip on her partner’s hand. She looked at him briefly, making eye contact and sending a clear message. They only had one shot at this and it was now or never. 

Still connected by touch, Ladybug threw her yo-yo in the air as Chat slammed his staff into the grating beneath them. Each cried for their respective power, but their words slurred together and twisted themselves around, as if reality itself were already melting beneath their combined will. 

“ _Miraculous Catastrophe!”_

There was a blinding flash of red and black before Marinette’s entire field of vision turned white and she felt everything drop away. 

**************

There was absolutely nothing. Surrounded by complete white as if a non-existent blizzard had shrouded everything in emptiness. Marinette frantically took in her surroundings, desperately trying to understand what had happened. The only thing there was to notice was their sudden lack of their superhero suits. Marinette and Adrien stood there in their civilian clothes, holding hands and utterly confused as to what was happening around them. Of all the things that could’ve happened, becoming stuck in a void was not something she would’ve predicted. In fact, it was exactly like when she’d been captured by Pixelator and trapped in that nothingness with Chlo-

Wait. She hadn’t been captured. 

_But I was_. 

Adrien’s voice rang perfectly in her mind, their thoughts, emotions and memories merging together like two rivers meeting at a confluence. What surprised her most was the lack of shock. Blending together with him felt natural, as if they’d been one all along and just hadn’t noticed. Now, they were aware of it and...she felt complete. As if there’s been a cold gap in her heart for her entire life and she didn’t realize until it had been filled with his warmth. 

“Ladybugs often feel that with their Black Cats.” A new, incredibly high-pitched voice rang out in the space, capturing the attention of the two heroes. They looked around, searching, until their eyes landed on a small red spec hovering in the distance. Without needing to look at each other, Marinette and Adrien agreed to walk forward and meet this...entity. They didn’t dare let go of the other’s hand. 

“Hello?” Marinette called out, her shoulders tense with apprehension. “Who are you? And where are we?”

“Ah, right down to business. This is why I could never deal with your bugs for very long. Too determined. Too...focused.” Yet another voice filled the void. As it spoke, a black spec joined at the side of the red one. As Marinette and Adrien crept closer, the...things seemed to do the same. The heroes quickly realized they weren’t nearly as far aways as they’d originally assumed. They were just incredibly small. 

As the four of them met, they each scanned their eyes across the newcomers. Marinette and Adrien’s thoughts began swirling together, creating a mass of confusion. _Bugs? No, genies? That makes no sense. Is that a cat? A super tiny cat? But doesn’t that one resemble a ladybug? Didn’t Master Fu say something about-_

“Gods?” Their voices rang out in unison as they simultaneously approached a conclusion. “You’re the gods of the miraculous.”

The red one smiled grandly. They happily glanced at the cat-looking one before turning back towards the heroes. “I always knew you two were perfectly matched. More so than a lot of Ladybugs and Black Cats we’ve had. It’s nice to properly meet you. My name’s Tikki. I’m the kwami of the Ladybug miraculous.” She looked directly to Marinette, her blue eyes shining and admiration and pride. 

All attention turned to the other being who reluctantly rolled his eyes before introducing himself. “Never was a fan of pleasantries, but I supposed this is long overdue. My name’s Plagg, god of destruction and the Black Cat miraculous.”

Neither Marinette nor Adrien spoke, still far too confused about what exactly was happening. 

“You’re probably looking for answers, aren’t you?” Tikki ( _it was Tikki, right?)_ swooped down closer to them, still grinning endlessly. 

“Why are we here?” Marinette spoke up first, followed closely by Adrien. 

“And where is _here_ , exactly?”

“Is Paris safe?” Their voices converged again for the last question, filling their empty surroundings with the perfect harmony. Tikki’s smile widened and Plagg ( _yes, it’s Plagg)_ shook his tiny head, allowing the faintest grin to appear on his features. 

“You two remember that fable the old man told you, right? About the deities becoming trapped within their respective miraculous? Well, lucky for you, it’s true. Fun, right?” Plagg reclined on his back as he floated through the air, seemingly unamused by the entire situation.

“You’re kidding.” Marinette and Adrien spared a glance at one another as they once again answered together. 

“I knew they were special, Plagg! I told you, the moment they first transformed.” Tikki turned her attention towards Plagg as she excitedly thwacked him with her little hand. _Her adorable, tiny, nub hand_ , Adrien’s thoughts chimed in with her own. Marinette had to admit, whatever these creatures were ( _kwamis, I think they said_ ), they were pretty cute. 

Tikki focused back on the teenagers in front of her. “Just as the guardian told you, someone locked us within our jewels many centuries ago. Over time it became less of factual history and more of a legend. But, I assure you, we are very real.”

“Either that or we’re having a joint hallucination.” Adrien mumbled his thoughts aloud with awe. Marinette knew he was still doubting most of this, as was she. It was totally possible they’d nearly killed themselves trying their terrible plan and landed both of themselves in a hospital. Maybe all of this was their coma-induced minds creating crazy scenarios based on information they’d stored in their memories. 

“Nope, not a coma-fever dream. Although, that’s a pretty rational guess. Typical of a Ladybug.” Plagg tilted his head, amused. 

_How did he-_

“You’re still wearing your suits in your reality.” Tikki answered Adrien’s unvoiced question before he finished asking it. “Just because we were locked within the miraculous, doesn’t mean we don’t experience what you do. You two bonded with us, with your powers. It means we have a connection. Me with Marinette and Plagg with Adrien. Likewise, you two bonded on your own. In this space, a bond means everything. There are no boundaries.”

 _Great_. Marinette looked over to Adrien as they shared an identical reaction. 

“Point is, kid, this is real.” Plagg flipped over on to his stomach and looked Adrien dead in the eye. 

“Okay, but what is _this?_ Where are we?” The blond countered the statement immediately. 

“It’s a space outside of space. I know that makes little sense, but right now, we exist and we don’t simultaneously. Don’t ask me how it’s possible, because we’re still not totally sure. No one had ever considered removing kwamis from the equation before that madman that did. Likewise, no one has ever attempted to free us.” Tikki widened her eyes as she looked down on the heroes. “Until now.”

“What?” Marinette’s reaction was instinctive. Already, she was trying to piece the puzzle together, but nothing was making sense. “What do you mean? We weren’t trying to come here and free you, we were just-”

“Trying to stop that a horrible man from shaping reality to his sick image, yeah we know.” Plagg nearly growled as he spoke. “This was more of a happy accident.” He smiled mischievously, making Marinette second guess if freeing these beings was a good thing or not. 

Tikki continued where Plagg had failed to provide details. “Combining your full power is something no Ladybug and Black Cat have ever done. That, paired with how that woman freed you of your limits must've resulted in the perfect storm.”

 _Nice pun_ , Adrien internally laughed. Marinette decided to ignore it. 

“So, because we combined our powers, we more or less broke your cage?” Marinette tested her understanding of their situation.

“In a way, yes.” Tikki answered shortly. “We’ve been with you this entire time, connecting to your soul each time you transformed. We’re the source of your power, protecting you from any harm that may come your way. But now that we’ve been freed, you two can grow into your full power!” Her voice was much too chipper for a statement of that magnitude. 

_Full power? What did that mean?_ Before anyone could respond (because apparently it wasn’t necessary to voice a question in order to have it answered), Marinette felt her thoughts turn dark and angry. She felt hurt and betrayed, left alone to fend for herself. Except, these weren’t her emotions. Turning to look at Adrien, she recognized the way his jaw tightened and his shoulders tensed. 

“So, you’re saying you’ve been there the whole time,” His voice dripped with pain. “You watched everything happen, and there was _nothing_ you could do to protect us? To protect me?” The last sentence was almost a whisper. Adrien dragged his green eyes, still tinged with blue to look at Plagg and Tikki. 

Instantly, Plagg sat himself up straight. He flew down to Adrien and hovered directly in his face. “Kid, I did everything I could, I promise you. Those weird intuitions you had? That was me. I was trying to guide you the best I could. I’m sorry it wasn’t enough.”

Adrien wasn’t convinced. “It’s true.” Tikki chimed in. “Honestly, I haven’t seen Plagg this attached to a chosen in a while. He was the one who called for the Catastrophic ability. I tried to stop him, but…well I think it was the final straw.”

“The final straw was a _while_ ago, kid. Honestly, I didn’t even know I could force you to use your storm until I did. Now, what do you say we get out of here and take care of that monster once and for all. Then you can treat us all to a good cheesy snack.” Despite the unexpected snack comment, Plagg’s eyes glowed with anger and power. Marinette found herself mostly trusting these beings, except when Plagg looked like that. She wasn’t sure if it was a good idea to release something of such intensity on the world. 

“I’m the god of destruction, pigtails. Of course it’s a bad idea to release me into your world. But it’s a worse idea to leave Hawkmoth as he is. He-”

“-needs to be stopped.” Adrien spoke up, looking hesitantly at his kwami. Marinette felt him force his negative emotions down again and replaced them with more determination. It certainly wasn't the healthiest coping method, but it was something they'd have to deal with later. A flood of gratitude poured of him suddenly, removing all tension from his body. His eyes softened as he looked up at his kwami. “If you really did try to protect me, then thank you. Thank you, Plagg.” 

The kwami copied his wielder's lead, his small features softening into a smile before creeping back up into an uncomfortable sneer. “Let’s end this, then.”

“Wait, I have so many more questions,” Marinette stepped towards Tikki, blue eyes searching their matching pair for answers.

“And we’ll tell you everything you want to know, Marinette, we promise. But we need to take care of the biggest threat first.” Tikki’s voice was sweet and reassuring. Maybe she was where Ladybug’s self-confidence came from. 

“Tik’s right. The longer we chat in here, the bigger the toll on your mortal bodies.”

 _Oh, that doesn’t sound good_. Marinette’s suddenly chilled blood agreed wholeheartedly with her partner’s thoughts.

“I’d ask a question about that, but now I’m afraid to.” Adrien voiced his thoughts aloud this time. The kwamis nodded in agreement. 

“Long story short, your powers are wreaking havoc on the world right now. Your minds need to return to your bodies in order to regain control. With our help, we can right the wrongs done by Gabriel and fix the world.” Tikki fluttered down to Marinette. The girl instinctually opened her available hand as a platform and the kwami gladly sat down on it. Adrien copied her movements and Plagg copied Tikki. 

“Okay then, how do we get back to our bodies?” Marinette looked around again, but was met with the same emptiness. 

“Call for your transformations,” Plagg and Tikki answered together. Adrien and Marinette looked at one another and then back down to their respective gods. 

_What?_

“Instead of just thinking about your transformation, you now have to fully bond with us. Marinette, say ‘Tikki, Spots on’ and you’ll transform into a full Ladybug.”

“Adrien, say ‘Plagg, Claws out’. Then, we can finish what we started.” Adrien nodded at his instructions.

“And this’ll take us back to the land of the living?” Marinette normally wasn’t this trustful of people she just met, but it didn’t seem like there was much of a choice. 

Tikki and Plagg shared a look before turning back to the heroes. “It should.”

 _What could paw-sibly go wrong?_

Marinette shook her head. “Okay then, I guess there’s only one thing to do.” Tikki smiled up at her. “Tikki, Spots On!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who called it?
> 
> To be honest, I did not expect this story to take this turn when I first started writing it. I was going to leave the kwami's as nothing more than lore, but then I found the perfect opportunity to introduce them and I had to take it. I hope you all enjoy seeing them in the story! 
> 
> Also, since this chapter was late, the next one will be coming out tomorrow, so stay tuned!


	28. Reap What You Sow

_This is such a bad idea, it’s so bad, such a bad, bad plan, such a bad idea._

Every bit of common sense Nino possessed (which he didn’t usually consider to be very much) was screaming at him to veto Ladybug and Chat Noir’s plan. Or, Marinette and Adrien’s plan. In the end, he’d forced himself to block out their identities and just view them as the saviors of Paris. Because...well, that’s what they were. He knew their priority was the city and that they needed to take every chance they had to protect it. 

But that didn’t mean his heart slowed down when they walked out of his Shellter. He miraculously managed to throw his shield up for a third time (pun intended, why not) and protect himself, Rena and Queen Bee. His nerves, however, were left completely defenseless. Marinette wasn’t kidding when she said they needed to act quickly. As soon as the shield was replaced, the sound of akumas violently crashing into it filled the room again. Nino had taken a second to flinch and in that moment, he lost sight of his best friends. Upon reopening his eyes, they were gone, washed away by the sea of scarlet butterflies. There’s no way they weren’t akumatized. No way. _Why_ had he agreed to this plan?? Why would he have-

“ _Miraculous Catastrophe!”_

For a single moment, there was silence. 

And then the silence ended in the worst way possible. Though the shield muted everything outside its walls, the room erupted in twisted sounds of magic. At first, Nino was able to make out two distinct tones, one of Ladybug’s Cure and the other of Chat’s Storm. The sounds of wind chimes were so ingrained in his mind that relief actually washed over him for a moment, until it was overcome by awful hissing and yowling. The noises swirled together like thick ink flowing through a babbling fountain and gurgling throughout the room. Whatever could have possibly been causing such a sound worried the hell out of Nino, but there wasn’t much he could do at the moment to try and stop it. 

“What _is_ that?” Rena Rogue’s voice broke the terrible cacophony of noise escalating outside of the Shellter. The three heroes are huddled together in the middle of the forcefield, sticking to each other like lifelines. Nino had never been uncomfortable in small spaces, in fact, he often sought them out when he felt nervous. Like a turtle sinking into its shell, he enjoyed being enclosed. But right now, squished together with Alya and Chloe, he was anything but relaxed. It felt like the walls of his Shellter were shrinking in on him, threatening to cut him off from the rest of the world. From his best friends who were most likely in mortal danger because anything making this kind of discordance surely had to have been fatal. Against his will, he tightened his eyes and listened closer, desperately trying to pick up on their voices beneath all the havoc. 

There were no voices to be heard, but the longer he listened the more the sounds evened out. They became fluid, meshing into one another like a masterful composition being played aloud for the first time. Bright flashes of light exploded on the other side of his eyelids, but he was still far too petrified to crack them open and look. He just continued honing in on anything other than the storm raging around them, listening, listening, listening for the voices of his friends. 

He’d all but given up when a soft voice cut through the malevolence surrounding them. “ _T_ _ikki, Spots On!”_ was followed almost immediately by _“Plagg, Claws Out!”_ Those voices, _those_ sounds were what he’d been waiting for. The fact that Marinette and Adrien were still alive were enough to jumpstart his heart and open his eyes to look for them. It didn’t matter if he hadn’t a clue what those phrases were supposed to mean, all that mattered was their existence. 

He chose a horrible moment to open his eyes, though. For a split second, his mind registered the complete lack of akumas in the air and Ladybug and Chat Noir standing a few meters in front of the other heroes with their hands tightly grasped together. But that was all Nino saw before the entire room erupted in an explosion of light and sound. Instantly, he felt himself stripped of all power and his Shellter crumbled like snow. Nino tried to reach out for Alya, but a second sound wave blew the three remaining heroes backwards.

Everything dropped away for a while and Nino found himself oddly comfortable. Something beneath him was incredibly soft and the air smelled nice. It smelled...floral. As if he were napping in a garden, with birds singing around him and the warm sun shining down on his skin. Easily, he could’ve stayed there for a while had it not been for one bird in particular that seemed louder than the rest. Actually, the bird seemed to be shrieking, which was a pretty awful noise. 

Though he really, _really_ didn’t want to, Nino felt some sort of obligation to this poor creature. Clearly, it was distressed and needed help. He couldn’t be sure, but it felt like he was supposed to protect people in need, even if it was awfully inconvenient at the moment. Regardless, Nino listened closer, trying to figure out exactly what was wrong. 

Oddly enough, the bird seemed to be saying his name? He managed to crank his eyelids open but as soon as he did, the dream of the garden fell away. Reality slapped him like his brother rudely waking him up in the morning for school. Except...reality wasn’t making much sense right now, either. 

Alya’s face took up most of his vision as he pulled himself to a sitting position. She smiled widely and hugged him once he moved and his arms instinctively wrapped themselves around her body in return. What was weird, though, was the lack of the flute on her back. She pulled away and looked at him again, yelling if he was okay. Her loud voice barely reached him despite being a few centimeters away. 

Nino ignored her question and countered with one of his own. “Where’s your suit?” She opened her mouth to answer but more questions fluttered out as his mind was finally catching up with his eyes and realizing what exactly was happening around them. “Where’s my suit? What happened? And what the hell is _that_?”

It was as if a miniature hurricane had spawned from nowhere within the bunker. Nino, Alya and Chloe must’ve been knocked back and were sitting, bruised and broken on the tiny island. Winds whipped at their clothes and hair, but they remained untouched for the time being. Somehow, Scarlet Moth- no, he was back to his typical purple costume now- was only a few meters in front of them, right where the bridge met the island. He was barely distinguishable, using his arm to block his face as the winds of black and red magic exploded into existence and then dissolved back into nothing. Whatever this storm was, it was like nothing Nino had ever seen. Every arm of it reached out and rusted the metal bridge to the point where it turned to ash. But just as it was destroyed, it was created again by a different gust of wind. Over and over, everything the destructive power touched fell into entropy only to have the power of creation drag it back into existence. The entire bunker looked like it was glitching, unable to decide if it wanted to _be_ or not. 

What was really hard to grasp were the two figures centered in the eye of the hurricane. Figures of red and black like the rest of the storm around them, except they were glowing. It was as if radiation had seeped under their skin and flowed through their veins. One figure’s eyes popped with an unnatural green while the other’s glowed an angry pink. Gripping the other’s hand, they moved forward as one unit, stalking towards their weak prey in front of them. Nino blinked harshly to try and decide if he was seeing this correctly. His glasses were no longer on his face and everything was slightly blurred, but it had to have been-

“Ladybug and...Chat Noir?” The whisper was ripped from his mouth as soon as he uttered it, eyes still wide from shock. “What-”

“I don’t know.” Alya answered a question Nino wouldn’t have been able to finish. The journalist remained frozen, half supporting her boyfriend as they sat among bushes and flowers. Chloe was on his other side, clearly too surprised and confused to bring herself to make a comment. Not only was the one and only Chloe Bourgeois silenced by this scene, but Alya didn’t even move to record any of it on her phone. The three of them could only watch everything fold out as their best friends pushed the envelope of reality. 

In front of them, Hawkmoth was uncharacteristically remaining silent. Whether it was by choice or not, Nino had no way of telling. The man could only hope to shield himself from whatever hell the heroes in front of him were about to rain down upon him. At first, Nino found himself smiling at the view of the man cowering before his unnervingly powerful son. Gabriel Agreste was an abuser, a monster and the absolute scum of the earth. Nino’s only regret was that he wouldn’t have a chance to get in a shot if his two friends kept advancing on him the way they were now. 

“They’re...they’re gonna kill him,” Alya’s voice somehow reached his ears through the mayhem. Again, Nino felt a surge of justice through his veins and the furious, protective part of his conscious spat out a ‘ _good’_ in response. But Nino _knew_ that wasn’t right. Killing this man wasn’t justice and it certainly wasn’t what Adrien or Marinette would have wanted. Whatever was happening right now was beyond their two friends. Whether they’d been overrun by: power or emotion or _something_ else (because honestly, who knew that was actually happening right now), this wasn’t them. It was some supercharged form of his friends, but it wasn’t their core. They were the protectors of Paris, they were selfless and caring. Most of all, they were just. One of the reasons Ladybug and Chat Noir were so well matched was their unyielding sense of right and wrong. 

This? Killing an unarmed, unprotected man? This wasn’t them. They needed to be stopped. 

“Adrien!” Nino pushed himself further upright, greatly jostling Alya next to him. His vision swam again but he couldn’t bother with his spotty vision at the moment. If Adrien _and_ Marinette had activated their ultimate-destructo form, he couldn’t just sit here and watch it all happen. “ _Adrien! Marinette!”_ He tried again, this time pulling himself to his feet with his girlfriend’s help. 

“You need to stop this!” Alya cried out, now holding one arm over her head to brace against the storm. “This isn’t you!”

Chloe joined their attempt, flanking Nino’s other side and calling out to the heroes. Together, the three of them tried to stumble forward together, but something pushed them back. It was as if an unseen force were somehow controlling the creation/destruction storm that had taken over the rest of the bunker. They pushed forward, but again they were held back. Something didn’t want them to interfere. 

“Ladybug! Chat Noir! Please, stop!!!” Alya cried out for her friends again, her voice now starting to break with desperation. Nino felt her fear, her uneasiness for all of this. He shared every emotion she felt and more. Because it hadn’t been Chloe or Alya who had encouraged their friends to do something like this. It was _him_. He was the one who gave them the support they needed. He was the voice that had been overly hopeful and trustful and foolish. All of this was his fault. 

“Dudes, _please_! There’s a better way than straight up murder! We can work this out together!”

Despite their overlapping pleas, the heroes continued surging forward, until there were only centimeters between them and their enemy. Nino, Alya and Chloe held bated breaths, waiting for the inevitable. With their free hands, Ladybug and Chat Noir reached out in perfect synchronicity and each grabbed one of Hawkmoth’s shoulders. Nino could see the man’s mouth moving as the teenagers’ glowing eyes bore into him, but there was no emotion on their faces. The DJ was moments from looking away from what was sure to be a murder scene when the three distant figures suddenly glitched forward. 

It was as if the storm surrounding them melded reality around them, allowing Ladybug and Chat Noir to move with inhuman speed, even more so than what their suits should’ve granted them. In the time it took Nino to blink, they were suddenly standing in front of the golden casket, Hawkmoth still cowering on the floor in front of them. Despite being only a few meters away now, their combined storm still swooped over and around the other heroes, as if they were intentionally protecting them.

Now that the bridge was more or less clear, Nino was able to make out the stunned form of Nathalie kneeling on the metal grating. She was surrounded entirely by red ash; something that had to have been the remnants of all the scarlet akumas. Nino shivered at the thought of it. He desperately hoped and prayed that whatever destruction Adrien’s power was causing was only what was necessary and that Marinette’s creation could combat it long enough for this all to be over. 

Even looking at his friends, they appeared to be completely different people. Ladybug’s suit had changed drastically and now appeared more bug-like than it had before. Save for her bright red shoes, her lower half was entirely black. A red bodice with black polka dots trailed up her chest and over her shoulders. Her long sleeves were black with red dots with red-tipped gloves at the end. Two large, ladybug-like wings traveled off her shoulders and down to the back of her calves. She still wore her iconic pig-tails, but the ribbons were much longer and greatly reminded Nino of antennae and they whipped around in the storm. 

Adrien’s suit hadn’t changed as much, but it was still obvious to see the plate armor now formed on his chest and arms. Rather than being skin tight, his pants were baggier until they cinched into black knee-high boots. Bright green accents ran from the center of his toes up to the top of the boots, as well as from the tip of his middle finger up his arms to his shoulders. Most noticeably, a looser cowl gave way to a hood with ears that covered the top of his forehead, allowing just enough space for his piercing eyes to beam through. There was no longer a bell hanging from his neck. 

Looming over their enemy now, the violent hurricane began to die down. As the winds hushed and the flora on the island stopped whipping against itself, Nino was finally able to make out the words of the man practically kneeling in front of his friends. “You’re _children!_ ” He screamed up at them. “Pathetic, weak children! You have no idea the power you possess, the miracles you could create! Adrien, look at the face of your mother!” He turned around, pressing a button and opening the casket. The metal protective frames slid off, revealing the peacefully untouched woman beneath a case of glass. “She doesn’t deserve to die! You can save her! You can-”

Chat Noir thrust his fist forward in a fluid motion that shattered the case protecting his mother. The glass, thankfully, instantly dissolved to dust and none of the shards injured the woman inside at all. The sound of destruction echoed through the remnants of the storm.

“ _What are you doing??”_ Gabriel shrieked at his son, attempting to pull himself up to his feet. Nino felt something of a growl move up his throat. He was sure if the man had enough strength to stand, he’d be trying to discipline Adrien for his actions. Had Nino had more courage to move from his current safe haven, he’d go and sock the man for even trying to come down on Adrien again. 

Without answering the question, Ladybug and Chat Noir shifted slightly. Their separated hands grabbed Hawkmoth’s shoulders again. They pulled him up straight so his back was nearly flat against the bottom of the golden case. Their other hand, still with their fingers entwined, was placed gently on Mme. Agreste’s head. Even the light contact caused a sort of golden color to glow beneath the woman’s skin. Locked in a connected circle, Ladybug and Chat Noir slowly drew their eyes back to look at one another. For a brief instant, Chat Noir caught Nino’s eyes and although not a single word was said, Nino understood something disastrous was about to take place. 

He reacted instantly, pulling both Alya and Chloe with him as he dropped to the ground. He was barely able to prop his body up over the prior as a human shield when he heard Ladybug and Chat Noir speak together in perfect unison. Nino’s heart skipped a beat. 

It was a combination of the words they said and the voices that said it that made Nino regret his decision to come along to this battle. It was as if hundreds of layers of different voices had been stacked on top of each other. This was more than just Marinette and Adrien, Nino was listening to the voices of pure creation and destruction. The words they spoke were ambiguous enough for Nino to have no idea what to expect yet familiar to the point where he knew he should be scared. 

“ _Lucky Cataclysm”_

And the world promptly exploded with light. 

**************

It had to have been no more than a few seconds that Nino lost both his hearing and sight, but it was more than enough to cause a decent amount of panic and adrenaline to pour through his veins (as if it wasn’t already). It was as if someone had set off five flashbangs at a time, rendering all occupants of the bunker unaware for a decent stretch of time. Slowly, Nino’s vision blurred back to clarity and the high-pitched ringing in his ears started to die down to a hum. He found himself wishing he’d still had his superhero suit and any sort of protection it might have offered. 

When his sense and the ability to think straight came back, he moved to check on Alya but found that she was already on her feet, helping Chloe up. Once both girls stood, she came over, yelled something to him, and offered her hand. Nino took it as she asked if he was okay. He nodded (though the answer was technically no) and looked over her shoulder back to the scene at the front of the island. 

Without waiting to see if the girls were following him, Nino rushed forward to get a better look at Marinette and Adrien. As a cloud of dust settled in the bunker, Nino saw his two friends, de-transformed, standing over Gabriel and the golden case. Their backs were to the bridge again and their hands were still woven together. Gabriel was half laying, half sitting on the ground, shaking his head and trying to figure out what just hit him. Within seconds, Nino was at his bro’s side as Adrien blinked and looked around. He placed one hand on his shoulder and called for his attention. “Dude, you okay?”

“Yeah, I uh...what happened?” He turned to look at Marinette who appeared just as confused as he did. “Are you okay?”

Alya was at her best friend’s side and Chloe stood awkwardly behind Nino, almost as if she was waiting her turn to check on them. Marinette met Adrien’s eyes and gave him an uneasy smile. “Yeah, but what do we do with him?” She looked down at the man in front of her, glaring up at the teenagers with rage and anger. 

“I should’ve...known it was you two all along. And...of course you chose...the pitiful DJ and journalist...as sidekicks…” Gabriel was panting for breath and incredibly pale. Physically, he appeared unharmed but it was as if he’d been awake for a week straight. He just _looked_ awful. 

“If you say one more thing old man I swear to every god I will cataclysm you into oblivion. And don’t forget that I am the god I’m swearing to.” A tiny…cat(????) thing floated onto Adrien’s shoulder and spit words as if he were about to throw hands. Had Nino not been trying to appear brave and macho, he would’ve stumbled back and screamed like a little girl. He did flinch, however. 

“What is _that??_ ” Alya beat him to the punch, looking at another(????) floaty thing, except this one was red, sitting on Marinette’s shoulder. 

“No, Plagg, there are better ways to deal with this monster,” the tiny red ladybug-esque thing chided the cat-thing ( _what was happening???_?). 

Gabriel just spit on the ground, barely missing Adrien’s shoe. He dragged his hand across his face and tried to put on a facade, but no one was buying it. “So many tricks up your sleeve... huh? Well, it wasn’t...enough. Never forget that you...are nothing without me. You can put...on as many light shows as you like, Adrien, but I will find a way to make you...mine again. You and your mother. This isn’t ove-”

And that was the exact moment Nino learned the limits of his patience. His hand acted of its own accord and balled into a fist. The appendage made a silent agreement with his arm and swung as hard as he could at the man. His fist connected with a sickening _crack_ and Gabriel slumped back to the ground, out like a light. Everyone snapped their attention up to Nino in surprise. The DJ just glared back and shrugged his shoulders. That’s what he deserved. 

The tiny black cat craned his neck to look at Nino without moving off Adrien’s shoulder. He chuckled and nodded his head. “I think you and I are gonna get along perfectly, kid.” Although he still had no idea what that thing was, Nino smiled. 

“What do we do now?” Adrien prevented the bunker from falling into silence as he stared at the limp man in front of him. He smiled at Nino and then turned to Marinette again. Everyone copied his movements and looked at the girl, too. 

“Chloe,” she started, moving her head around to glimpse the blonde standing behind Nino. “Can you-”

“I already called my father. Officer Rogers is on his way, but they’re going to be discrete about it, for Adrien’s sake.” She took a step forward now, closing the gap between her and the others. “What exactly happened?” Her blue eyes moved between Marinette and Adrien, searching for answers. 

“Well-” Marinette began, though she didn’t seem to know where to start. Whatever her thought was, however, it was cut off by a sudden moaning sound. The five (or seven??) of them whipped their heads around to Gabriel again. Nino’s fist was already balled and ready for another hit if need be. Surprisingly, however, the man remained completely motionless. He was still out cold. But if the sound hadn’t come from-

Nino’s eyes widened as the woman within the golden casket moved her head from side to side. Slowly, her eyes fluttered open and she stared at the scene in front of her with a hazy confusion. She didn’t speak, only blinked and tried to focus on anything that made sense. Only one thing did. 

Adrien’s eyes grew wide as he looked down on the form of the previously catatonic woman. Tears instantly began pooling and pouring down his cheeks. Despite the obvious emotion, he seemed frozen in place, unmoving and not trusting of what his eyes were showing him. 

“...Mom?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just really enjoy the idea of them combining their powers, okay? 
> 
> Only about two chapters left, I think (which is good because I don't think my google doc can take my much more). Next chapter will be out next week. Happy Holidays everyone!


	29. Take What Remains

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha...sorry I dropped off the grid for like three weeks. Here's a longer chapter to make up for it!

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. It was a mantra Adrien would remind himself of whenever he looked at a photograph of his mother. He could stare at their family portrait for hours, forcing himself to remember the sound of her voice. He imagined her walking straight out of the painting sometimes to come and sit with him while he ate. Adrien would always try to remember the unique properties of her smile, how her eyes would crinkle and her nose would scrunch. He liked to imagine her laughing to some of the stories he’d tell her if she were really there. 

But if a picture was worth a thousand words...then Adrien currently had hundreds of dictionaries sitting in front of him. 

“Mom…?” He wasn’t sure if the word had been spoken aloud. The air in his lungs had been ripped out so violently he thought for sure he’d collapse right then and there. This couldn’t be real, could it? By making the deliberate choice to stop Gabriel, Adrien had also deliberately given up on his mother. He’d accepted the likelihood that her condition was irreversible. But now, here she was: seemingly alive and in perfect health. It didn’t….

How did this make sense?

The woman before him pushed herself into a sitting position, still holding her head with one hand. She blinked heavily and tried to take in her surroundings, but she seemed to be having issues making connections. Eventually, her focus settled on the face directly in front of her. For the first time in what felt like centuries, Adrien met his mother’s eyes. 

“Adrien?” She tested, tilting her head and letting her hand drop to her side. Her expression was filled to the brim with confusion and he knew there were a million other unasked questions about to pour out of her mouth, but she never got the chance. 

Without hesitating for another second, Adrien rushed forward and collided with his mother. He held her tightly, never _ever_ trusting himself to let go of her again. By some miracle she was alive and he would never take that fact for granted again. Not after what he’d been through. His eyes had already begun watering but now that his mother’s arms were tightly wrapped around his frame again, he completely broke down. Adrien buried his face in his mother’s neck as a few small sobs wracked his body. He relished in her scent and the feeling of immediate protection she offered. His mother’s embrace was a feeling of safety that was simply impossible to replace. He hadn’t realized how much he’d depended on it until it had been taken from him. But now that he had it back, Adrien wasn’t sure he’d ever be able to let go. 

“Chaton, give her some space,” Adrien felt a gentle hand on his shoulder that jolted him back into the reality of things. If it had been anyone other than Marinette, he would’ve ignored them. As it was, she was the only one who could hold a light to the love he felt for his mother. Adrien realized he was awkwardly leaning into the strange golden case and understood that it couldn’t have possibly been a comfortable position for the woman. At Marinette’s request, he stepped backwards and took in his mother’s face again. 

Her eyes were watering, though he doubted she understood why. More likely, it was probably a maternal instinct to cry when her child did. His mother chuckled slightly (Such a beautiful sound it was. Adrien was shocked he’d ever forgotten it) and pushed herself out of what had been her prison for months. Seeing her moving and _alive_ was more than Adrien felt capable of comprehending at the moment. He’d never expected to see her breathing again. Grateful didn’t even begin to describe how he felt. Everything seemed perfect until his mother tripped over the motionless body of her husband laying at her feet. 

As soon as the woman recognized the form, she dropped to her knees. “Gabriel!” She grabbed his shoulder and shook him gently, but Adrien knew the man wasn’t going to be conscious for a while longer. He wasn’t sure exactly how hard Nino had hit him, but the _crack_ had echoed through the bunker. The man was going to be out for a while. 

His mother looked up to him frantically, green eyes wide with fear and concern. “Adrien, what happened!? Call 112. He’s not responding!”

“I think he’ll be fine.” Chloe stepped up with her arms crossed over her chest and wet streaks down her cheeks. “And with all due respect, Mme. Agreste, Gabriel deserved it.”

“Chloe? What’re you…” His mother's frenzy calmed for a moment as she gathered a better picture of the scene around her. Most of the faces she met were strangers, but the two she did seem to recognize were clearly distraught. Adrien watched as his mother looked around the bunker, noticing the debris and stillness of it all. Alya and Nino were still in shock, unsure of how to react to the new development. Marinette had reached out again and was aggressively gripping Adrien’s hand. If he knew her at all, she was probably already attempting to figure out a gameplan of what the next course of action should be. Atop the heroes shoulders, Tikki and Plagg were eerily quiet, simply watching everything unfold. His mother must’ve picked up on the tension in the room as she looked around. “What’s going on here?”

“I’m afraid you’ve missed quite a lot, Emilie.” Everyone jumped at the sudden voice behind them. They all turned instantly, most adopting a look of shock as their eyes took in a torn and tattered Nathalie limping towards them. 

“Kinda forgot about her,” Alya whispered under her breath, though her ‘quiet voice’ could use some improvement. 

Marinette’s shoulders immediately went rigid. She stepped in front of Adrien despite the fact that her small stature was certainly not cut out for being a human shield to someone taller than her. “What do you want? I thought we made it clear we don’t want your help nor your presence.”

Plagg flew off Adrien’s shoulder and came face-to-face with the bruised woman. “You’ve done far enough damage to these kids, lady, and I’m not going to let you do any more. Adrien?” He called over his shoulder. “Just say the word and I’ll cataclysm her out of existence. 

“No, it’s okay.” Adrien gripped Marinette’s right hand tighter within his left. He moved her slightly to his side, no longer afraid of his old guardian. Plagg returned to his chosen’s shoulder, though it was obvious he was still ready to attack if given permission. Nathalie drew up in front of the boy, offering an uneasy, pleading smile as she looked down into his fierce eyes. “Fool me twice, Nathalie, shame on you. You’ve betrayed my trust once and I’m not going to make that mistake again.” Out of his peripheral vision, he saw the surprised look Marinette shot him, but Adrien was too focused on holding Nathalie’s gaze. He stared her down, unwilling to yield and she quickly looked away, bowing her head to him. 

“Adrien, I need to apologize. I know I don’t deserve your forgiveness,” She looked back up to him, then turned his attention to his mother where he cradled her husband. “But I’m hoping you’ll allow me to clean up my mess. The police will be here any minute. Please let me turn myself in, along with Gabriel. You kids don’t need to get mixed up in all of this.”

“Police? Turn yourself in? Nathalie, what’s going on here?” Emilie sat up straighter, her eyes bouncing across the six pairs looking back at her. “Adrien? Who are these people? And what are these...things?” She narrowed her eyes on the beings seated on Adrien and Marinette’s shoulders. He heard Plagg scoff under his breath at the accidental disrespect used to address him and his counterpart. 

“Emilie, allow Adrien to explain everything to you once you’re in a safer location. For the time being, Gabriel and I need to answer to our crimes. Please, trust the kids.” Nathalie limped forward again, dropping to her knees on the other side of Gabriel. Adrien’s mother held the man tighter, not fully trusting anyone yet. 

Marinette stepped forward, addressing Nathalie. “Hold on, no. I’m not letting you two out of my sight until the authorities have you in their possession. After all you’ve done, I don’t trust you not to run away or try something worse.”

Nathalie’s posture crumpled slightly, but she nodded her head, accepting it. “I can’t say I blame you, Ladybug.” Marinette’s eyes narrowed as the woman used her superheroine name. Had she been the owner of the Black Cat Miraculous, Adrien was sure she would’ve hissed. 

“As much as I hate to say it, she’s got a point, Marinette.” Alya looked sheepish at first as she contradicted her best friend. As the seconds passed, though, her gaze became firmer and more confident. “Most of us can’t be seen here as civilians and I don’t think any of us have the energy to transform again. Even though Officer Roger said he’d handle it quietly, there’s only so much he can do. I know journalists. They’d follow any leads they have if it had something to do with the defeat of Hawkmoth. We can’t risk it.” Alya’s eyes were hardened amber, solidly holding her ground. Marinette wordlessly looked at her best friend, pleading for another option. Deep down, Adrien could see her accepting the truth Alya spoke. 

They couldn’t risk their identities if they had any hope of living semi-private lives from here on out. 

“But I can.” Chloe stepped forward, parting everyone like the seas. She stood in front of Nathalie and Marinette, looking back and forth between the two. “Everyone already knows I’m Queen Bee. I’ll watch Gabriel and Nathalie and make sure they don’t try anything until my father gets here with the police. I’ll meet up with you later wherever you end up.” She looked at Adrien sadly and nodded. _Always so protective over him, whether he wanted her to be or not._

Marinette’s grip on Adrien’s hand tightened. He knew she didn’t like her options, but she was going to have to choose anyway. “Milady,” He leaned over, speaking quietly as his voice was finally returning to him after the shock of seeing his mother again. By some miracle, his mind was compartmentalizing and pushing priorities to the forefront of his mind. Maybe being in life-or-death situations so often really was starting to have an impact on his thought process. “You know she’s right,” his voice barely broke above a whisper but strengthened as he continued speaking, eventually addressing everyone. “Our options are limited, but so is our time. Chloe, I trust you with this. We all do. We need to get my mother to the guardian, in case not everything is as it appears.” He looked down at his mother’s panicked face. As much as he’d love to take care of this mess with Ladybug and show Paris the strength of their constant heroes, he knew Master Fu needed to take a look at his mother. No one was really sure what was happening and he wasn’t willing to risk the woman’s health. Not after everything that had already happened.

“Adrien, what are you doing? We need to help your father!” His mother gripped Gabriel tightly, her knuckles turning white. 

“No, Emilie, he’s right.” Nathalie spoke before Adrien had the chance to respond to his mom. “Gabriel and I have done unspoken things to the city and to these kids. None of it was warranted.” She looked directly at Adrien now, tears forming in the corners of her eyes. “I’m sorry.”

To that, Adrien had nothing to say. 

Instead, he looked to Marinette. “It’s time to leave, bug.”

Her cheek indented slightly where Adrien knew she was biting the inside of it. Marinette shifted her eyes to Chloe who nodded confidently back to her. “I got this. I promise.” Then, Marinette’s eyes drifted down to Adrien’s mother. Bright, concerned green eyes met her with panic and then turned to her son. Her grip on her husband had loosened. 

“Adrien, what’s going on?” Her voice wavered steadily, but it was clear she was barely holding it together. He supposed that made two of them. 

“Mom, we need to leave.” The blond released his grip on Marinette to kneel next to his mother. “I promise I’ll explain everything once we’re...not here.” The sentence fell off with uncertainty. He reached out to her. “Please, trust me.”

There was only a moment of hesitation before she took his hand. 

**************

“Not to be pushy or anything, but ya got any cheese? I’m _starving_.” Adrien pulled his hands away from his face and squinted at Plagg as the blinding bathroom light filled his vision again. 

“What...?” He hadn’t really expected the inter-dimensional being to say anything at all right now, much less make a request for cheese. Adrien was sitting on the floor of the Dupain-Cheng’s bathroom, just taking a few moments in solitary to set his thoughts straight. He hadn’t anticipated to be followed by his kwami, but apparently that’s just how it worked from now on. Where Adrien went, Plagg directly followed.

The kwami shrugged. “I’m just saying, the perk of having a holder from France are the cheesy delicacies I’ll have at my disposal. Now, do you got any cheese or am I gonna have to ask the Ladybug for it?”

Adrien shook his head and placed it back in his hands. “I don’t even _know_ what I have at the moment, Plagg. So much has happened in the past few days. I can’t even-” He breathed deeply, slowing his heart down slightly and pulled his hands away from his face. His legs moved of their own accord, folding against his chest. He wrapped his arms around them and held tightly, keeping his body in a secure little ball. His head dropped down, his chin resting against his chest. “What am I supposed to do, Plagg?” 

The god floated down gently, resting atop Adrien’s knee. “You carry on, kid.” 

“What if I can’t? What if all of this is just too much? What if I just want to shut down for a year and deal with all of this later?” His voice sounded tired, which he supposed he was. Sure, they had won and his mother was miraculously alive and well, but it felt like he’d still lost everything for some reason. 

“Listen kid, I’m not going to pretend like I’m good with feelings, that’s more Tikki’s thing. But I also can’t pretend like you haven’t been through more than you can handle. Remember, I’ve been a part of you since you first placed that ring on your finger. I was there through it all and even I’m still trying to wrap my brain around it. If you need a break, kid, then take one. Everyone will understand.” A tiny arm reached out and gently touched the top of Adrien’s knee in a supportive gesture. 

Adrien lifted his head to look at Plagg and chuckled slightly. “Taking a break isn’t really my style.

Plagg blew his cheeks out in an exasperated breath. “ _Believe_ me, I know. I mean, really, the amount of activities you managed to pack into a single day were enough to exhaust even me, an immortal god. And I wasn’t even the one doing them!” His little limbs flailed wildly. 

Adrien smiled and reached a finger up to gently pet Plagg’s head. Hopefully he wouldn’t take it as an offensive gesture, but Adrien just felt like he needed to show his appreciation somehow. At first, the kwami seemed confused but his expression melted into one of bliss as Adrien softly used his forefinger to rub the soft fur on Plagg’s head. For a split second, a low purr broke through the silence of the room. Immediately, Plagg coughed and shook his head, regaining his composure. “Well, I’ll just assume that pep talk worked. Now I can add ‘Motivator/Counselor’ to my resume. Mind if I use you as a reference?”

A small laugh bubbled out of Adrien’s throat- a sensation he hadn’t really felt in a while. It was nice. “Sure, but you’ll have to give them my email. Kinda broke my phone a couple days ago.”

Plagg waved it off. “Eh, it’s fine. I’m not picky. But we should get you a new phone if you want to keep texting your girlfriend out there.”

Adrien felt his cheeks up and he looked away. “She’s not- well, not _technically_. I still have to ask her parents but really after everything that’s happened, it’s kinda low on the list. Do you think she’d-”

“Kid, I can already tell you’re spiraling. You and I both know you and pigtails are practically already dating. Just have a quick conversation to make it official and call it a day, yeah? Now, are you done in here? I told you, I’m _starving_.” 

Truth be told, Adrien wanted to melt into a puddle right then and there. He wished time could stop moving around him, allowing him the time he so desperately needed to work through the disaster he called his mind. He knew wishing wouldn’t get him anywhere though, that’s just not how the world worked. Life loved to knock people over. It was about how one pulled himself back to his feet that mattered. 

Thankfully, Adrien wasn’t alone. 

His joints groaned as Adrien unfolded himself and slowly pushed himself to his feet. He caught his pale reflection in the mirror and met his own eyes. He breathed deeply, using each inhale to strengthen a portion of his posture. After a couple more breaths, a fragment of the ‘old Adrien’ stood before him, ready to take on the world. He dared to crack a smile as he spoke an obnoxious phrase he used to always tell Ladybug right before patrol. “Alright then, let’s get this bread.”

Plagg’s eyes widened in the reflection next to him. “There’s _bread_?!?!?”

************

If Marinette could have anything in the world right now, she’d take a nap, no contest. She was currently melting into her couch cushions, eyes already drooping. Nino was passed out next to her, a small, white bandage wrapped around his head. Luckily, his probable mild concussion was the only injury out of all of them. Alya sat next to her boyfriend, hovering protectively. He was just sleeping (something Marinette greatly envied him for) but Alya was watching him like a hawk for any other concerning signs. 

Mme. Agreste sat uncomfortably on the other end of the couch, looking around the room and nervously tapping her fingers on her knee. Master Fu stood before her with a kit of...things. Marinette couldn’t identify any of them right now even if she’d wanted to, and honestly it wasn’t a priority. Her parents sat at the counter, once again sipping their calming teas. Another mug sat in front of Marinette on their coffee table, but it was practically empty now. She’d more or less downed the drink as soon as her maman had placed it in her hand. Her nerves were all over the place, but her mind and body were drained. There was so much she wanted to do, but so little she felt capable of doing. 

The only thing keeping her from falling asleep entirely was the absence of her partner. Adrien had excused himself about 15 minutes ago and had yet to return. She would’ve been concerned, but she knew he was taking a few minutes of isolation to work things out on his own. Marinette was envious of that, too. Every time she looked up, she caught the worried gaze of her parents, trying to pull answers out of her like taffy, but she wasn’t being cooperative at the moment. It was pretty clearly causing them some frustration, but she just couldn’t put in the effort right now. Someone with more energy could answer their pressing questions. 

“Maybe some sleep would be a good idea, Marinette.” Tikki prodded from her shoulder. Oh yeah, she’d forgotten about the whole kwami situation. Apparently her brain really was functioning at minimal capacity. It was probably a good thing Chloe had stayed back after all, allowing Ladybug and Chat Noir to take a much needed break. They’d probably get out to address the public later in the week. Just...not today. Too much had already happened today. Marinette couldn’t be sure, but she was fairly certain she’d merged with the conception of creation at some point. If that didn’t earn a few hours of leave, she wasn’t sure what did. 

Pulling herself out of her thoughts, Marinette forced her mouth to reply to her newly-freed kwami. “I can’t sleep yet, Tikki. Too much work to do.” It almost felt like she was talking to herself, responding aloud to her own thoughts. Honestly, maybe she was. Maybe running on such little sleep all week had caused her to start hallucinating and there was no Tikki here at all. Her brain very well might have taken the legend of the kwamis and created some strange reality based on the information it had. Maybe it was her way of making sense of a world where nothing seemed like chaos. 

She jolted awake suddenly, opening her eyes widely to keep them from shutting again. 

Tikki deadpanned at her. “Marinette, you just nodded off. Right in front of me. I think you should sleep.”

“She’s…uh, it is ‘she’ right?” Alya sat a little straighter as she spoke to Tikki. At the question, Tikki nodded cheerfully. “She’s right, Marinette. You look drained. You should catch some sleep while we figure everything out. Heck, I might join you. We can all have a cuddle session here on the couch.”

“If what Tikki and Plagg told me is true, then sleep would be best for both you and Adrien, Marinette.” Master Fu looked up from his check-up of Mme. Agreste. “It sounds like the two of you somehow merged..?” He furrowed his brows at Tikki as he said the word, checking to see if the phrasing was correct. Tikki nodded uneasily and kinda shrugged with affirmation. Master Fu continued, sounding less sure than when he started. “...not only with Plagg and Tikki but with _their powers_ as well. Which, to say the least, is something no one has done before.”

“Could you rewind a moment, there?” Marinette’s mom chimed in quietly from the other side of the room. She smiled uneasily and shared a look with her daughter. “I’m afraid you lost me during your explanation.”

“I would also greatly appreciate someone explaining what’s happening.” Mme. Ageste spoke up, her voice instantly commanding the room. Even Nino twitched in his sleep. She looked to Master Fu first. “Sir, I appreciate your concern for me, but I’m just about out of patience. Someone please explain why my husband is supposedly a criminal and my son a superhero.” Her green eyes blazed with raw emotion and Marinette was frozen by how much she looked like Adrien. During some of the worst akuma battles, Chat would give her that same look and it had always chilled her to the bone. Mme. Agreste wanted answers and she wanted them _now_. 

“I think that’s my job, mom.” Adrien appeared in the entryway suddenly, his arms loosely folded against his chest. Plagg sat on his shoulder, craning his little neck towards the kitchen. Adrien walked a little further into the room, but his body language was tentative. There was a time when Adrien politely commanded attention in a room. Now, it was like he would rather disappear in a corner than have anyone look at him. Marinette briefly wondered if that would ever change again. Regardless, he walked over to his mother and offered a hand out to her. Of course, she took it and held it tightly. Adrien looked to Master Fu. “Is she okay? Is it okay if we go talk for a while downstairs?”

The man nodded. “From what I can tell, she’s in perfect health. Whatever you kids did to bring her back, it worked perfectly. That being said, we should observe her for the next few weeks, just in case there are any unexpected consequences.” He took back his strange-looking tools and began storing them away in his bag. 

Adrien looked back to his mother. “Walk with me?” He asked quietly. Mme. Agreste nodded while she pushed herself to her feet and allowed her son to pull her into the hallway. The rest of the room watched quietly as the door shut gently behind them. 

“I wouldn’t even know what to say. I mean, how does he explain all that’s happened?” Alya shook her head, her mouth slightly agape. 

Marinette’s mother looked fondly at the door, as if she were able to hear the conversation taking place behind it. “She’s his mother. If there’s one thing she’s capable of, it’s understanding her child.” 

“I wish I had that superpower.” M. Dupain spoke up, rubbing his palm against his forehead. “I’m still lost on what happened last night, kids.” 

Alya scoffed. “Make that two of us. Well, three actually because I know for a fact Nino was just as confused as I was.” 

“Four.” Master Fu added. “I can speculate, but I’d appreciate any more details you can add, Tikki.” 

Marinette looked at her kwami only to find Tikki looking back at her. Her tiny blue orbs glittered with apprehension. It was strange, seeing that look in someone else’s eyes instead of her own. There had been so many times she’d dropped her transformation in front of her mirror, only to see her own uncertain eyes staring back at her. It had been incredibly difficult when it was only Marinette who had known her own secret, back when she was alone. Well, not totally alone. She’d always had Chat but, it was all different now. Marinette didn’t have to hide who she was anymore, not from the people that mattered most. Even better, she didn’t have to bear the responsibility of Ladybug alone, either. Having Tikki around her constantly would certainly be an adjustment, but probably one for the better. As to _how_ this new friend came about, Marinette was also lost. She silently responded to Tikki’s glance with a shrug. “I don’t know how to explain it. Heck, I barely even know what happened. One second, Adrien and I tried to combine our powers, the next we’re in some strange void and after that...I don’t know. Everything was over. We were just standing over Gabriel."

Tikki nodded and smiled with her eyes. “What you and Adrien did is something no one has ever tried before.” She looked around, addressing everyone in the room. “I’m not sure how much you all know about the miraculous, but what Hawkmoth was trying to do was wear both the Ladybug earrings and Black Cat ring. If he did this, he would possess both the power of creation and destruction. With that kind of power, one has the ability to change reality. Although, it’s incredibly powerful and the user can usually only make one large change: the single wish, before it takes too much of a toll on them. The biggest downfall of this is that whatever that person creates or destroys, something of equal meaning must then be either created or destroyed.

“For example, if someone has an illness and a person used the combined power to make the sickness disappear from them, the disease would simply be created in someone else. It’s never an easy deal. There are always consequences.”

“Ohhh, that makes sense!” Alya’s face lit up with understanding. “So that’s why Adrien said if Gabriel used the power to wake up his mother, it would most likely end up killing him instead. An equal exchange.” The example she used was just a little _too_ real and _too_ grim for anyone’s liking. A temporary dark cloud shuddered through the room, chilling everyone slightly before they realized that _wasn’t_ what happened. Adrien was okay. They were all okay. 

“So, obviously you kids found a way around that. How?” Marinette’s mom pushed off her stool and walked around into the kitchen. She still gave her attention to Tikki as she walked to the kettle and refilled her teacup. Apparently it was a double-serving-of-camomile type of day. 

Tikki made a small squeak that sounded like an ‘uhhh’ before she launched into the second part of her explanation. “Well, it’s a bit difficult to put into words but I’ll do my best. So, instead of using the combined power for one individual, Marinette and Adrien joined the power of their miraculous through both of them. More or less, it ended in the same result with vastly different consequences. So, they used the power of destruction to destroy all of the akumas and deevilize everyone who’d been affected by the scarlet akumas. To balance out the destruction, they must’ve used the power of creation to bring Adrien’s mother back and heal her. Does that make sense?” She looked towards Marinette’s parents who were (unfortunately) suffering from a pretty significant learning curve.

“Uh...no. Haha.” Marinette’s dad tried to laugh off his confusion but it stuck to him like gooey caramel. “Can you explain it a different way?”

“That doesn’t explain LB’s and Chat’s kickass new costumes, either. Or how they somehow broke you and Plagg out of an interdimensional space prison.” Alya was leaning forward, her phone in her hand as she jotted down notes. Marinette was confident her best friend wouldn’t post this online but the presence of the notes wasn’t making Marinette feel less nervous about that.

Tikki squinted one eye, trying to figure out another way to explain it. “Well, the costume change came from Marinette and Adrien finally merging with us, their kwami’s. Our power is no longer limited or locked away so they got a sort of boost. As for how they got us out, even I’m not totally sure. The best explanation I can give revolves around connection. In the end, the world is a product of both creation _and_ destruction. One cannot and will not exist without the other. In the past, Ladybug’s and Chat Noir’s have usually existed at separate times in fear of someone misusing them. On rare occasions, both would be activated to combat an extreme threat, like in the event of a rogue miraculous. 

“That being said, no two holders have ever connected like Marinette and Adrien.” Tikki smiled as she looked at her holder, then to Fu, the one who chose them. “Right from the beginning, they worked flawlessly together, as if the universe itself wanted them to be a team. Good choice with these two, Master.” The guardian smiled at the compliment yet purposely avoided the piercing gazes of Marinette’s mother and father from across the room. They still had yet to forgive him for putting such stress on their young daughter.

Tikki continued on before the silence became overwhelming. “That is to say, when Ladybug and Chat Noir combined their power, they connected not only themselves, but also creation and destruction. That’s how they broke into our prison. By controlling both forces, they had the ability to create a doorway and entered through it somehow. Although, I don’t believe it was intentional.” She looked at Marinette again. “You lead with your mind, Marinette, but Adrien leads with his heart. My best guess is that you know you needed reinforcements and Adrien just wanted everyone to be free of any cruelty or restraints. Somehow, those combined to find Plagg and I.” She flew down to Marinette’s cheek and hugged it tightly. “You really are the best Ladybug and Black Cat we’ve ever had.” 

Marinette saw her parent’s squinting faces out of her peripheral vision. “Uh...no. Still not clicking.” Her father opened his mouth as if he were about to ask for additional clarification when her mother stopped him.

“Tom, I’m sure there will be plenty of time for extra explanations. Right, Marinette?” Her maman gave her the ‘take the out, I’m doing this for your own good’ look. Marinette couldn’t help but smile at the expression and heeded her mother’s advice. 

“Right. Once Tikki helps me fully understand it, then I’ll help everyone else who needs it. Something tells me certain things are meant to remain a mystery, though.”

Master Fu chuckled at her comment before he could stop himself. Everyone instinctively turned and looked in his direction. He just shrugged. “Marinette is the most clever miraculous holder I’ve ever met. That is something she proves time and time again. Although even an old guardian such as myself might not understand all that is at play here, Marinette will, with time. She is the best of all of us.”

Alya whooped loudly at that, shoving her phone back in her pocket. “I’ll say. Here, here!” She reached over for her own mug sitting on the table, and raised it aggressively, causing lukewarm tea to flood over the side. In response, her parents shook their heads but slightly lifted their own cups as well. The three of them sipped together. “There is one thing we can’t overlook, though. Where are the other kwamis? Didn’t you say each miraculous had a deity within it?” She turned to look at Master Fu, the long-time expert of all of them. 

He smiled uneasily again and looked to Tikki for an answer. The kwami gladly picked up when he was at a loss. “You’re right, Alya. Plagg and I may be out, but there are plenty of kwamis still trapped in their miraculous. Like Trixx in your necklace, or Wayzz in the Turtle’s bracelet.” She gestured smally with her arm. 

Alya’s face might as well have exploded in light. She hopped off the couch, her fists bunch together by her chin. “Well then we need to get them out! As soon as possible! Right, Marinette?” She turned to look at her best friend, her eyes doing everything they could to force a ‘yes’ out of her. 

And, of course, Marinette was on board. If other creatures were trapped against their will, they _had_ to get them out. Especially since they now knew it was possible. That being said, how should they go about it? Marinette and Adrien may have freed Tikki and Plagg, but it was almost completely an accident. Meddling with the forces of creation and destruction had left Marinette exhausted. Even if she’d wanted to get right to work, she wouldn’t have been able to. On top of that, the thought of meddling with the power of illusion directly? It would surely be a bigger headache than the one that was already creeping into her mind. 

Regardless, Marinette smiled and nodded. 

Alya yelled cheerfully, her energy zipping around the room with nowhere to go. “Alright, first things first, I gotta wake up Nino. We’re getting uh…” she turned to Tikki. “Tricks and Way(?) back as soon as possible. Who’s with me?”

Tikki cocked her head to the side, offering a sad smile to Alya. “It might take a while, Alya. There’s quite a bit of information I should re-learn from grimoire that might help us. And besides, Ladybug and Chat Noir need a break. We’ll free the other kwamis. Just...maybe not today?”

The redhead’s excitement dropped at Tikki’s words. Alya scanned her eyes across the room, everyone slightly nodding in agreement with the god of creation. “Oh, okay. Of course. It’s uh, it’s something we can all work on together over the next few days, right? Sorry, I got a little excited. I want to meet my kwami.”

Tikki smiled grandly and looked at Marinette. “I understand. The bond between a holder and their kwami is something special.” She looked back up to Alya. “Honestly, you remind me a lot of Trixx already. You two will get along perfectly.” 

The journalist seemed to be content with that answer for a while and relaxed back into the couch cushions next to her boyfriend. Nino had shifted a little throughout their conversation, but now he was quietly snoring and seemed to be deep in REM. They’d catch him up on everything once he returned to the world of the living. 

They’d have to do the same thing for Chloe, too, once she returned from wherever she was at the moment. Marinette was sure if she’d turned on the news, something about the heros’ battle would be on there. After Scarlet Moth’s attack on the entire city of Paris, reporters were sure to be looking for an explanation. Especially since the akumas all disappeared without the heroes ever appearing, it was pretty obvious that something had taken place behind the scenes. If the media _had_ followed any authorities to the Agreste mansion, Chloe surely should’ve been able to handle them. The girls had had their differences in the past, but Marinette knew Chloe would do everything in her power to make their situation as quiet as possible, if only for Adrien’s sake. 

So no, Marinette didn’t ask to turn the TV to see what was happening. She’d been there in person. She’d seen everything and _done_ a lot more than she’d bargained for. She deserved a rest. 

_As does Adrien_. Marinette couldn’t help but glance towards the shut door. He’d probably stayed inside their house to stay away from any leering crowds or to avoid getting noticed on the street after his public disappearance. That was enough to calm Marinette’s heart and know he was safe. It wasn’t enough to warm her cold hand and replace the feeling that something was missing. Of course they each deserved time apart from each other, but Marinette was having an issue adjusting. After practically being connected at the hip for the past two days, it felt wrong being away from him. It just felt wrong. 

Somehow, the two of them had merged together. Not only with each other, but with the actual powers of the universe. It was pretty special, to say the least. Now, Marinette felt dependent on his presence. She knew he felt it, too. They were Ladybug and Chat Noir, two halves of a whole, Yin and Yang. Together, they’d saved Paris. They’d saved the world. They’d saved each other. And although there was still plenty of saving to be done and plenty more questions to be answered, Marinette felt it was safe to take a break right now. Here, today, everyone was safe. 

Soon, her kitty would come back inside and join her here on the couch. They’d fill each other in on what the other had missed, probably ask their parents for permission to date and...plan for the future? Who knows what life still held in store for them. 

That was something that could be dealt with later, though. Marinette’s eyes were already so incredibly heavy and her body had floated far away from her. She heard a faint bout of laughter and a light weight on her shoulder settle comfortably. _It’s okay, Marinette_ , she almost heard it whisper. _It’s all okay now._

That’s all it took for her to drift off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ....can I just how nice it is to have Plagg and Tikki as characters finally? Ohhhh I missed all their interactions with their holders and each other. I love them so much. 
> 
> Anyway, I hoped that explanation made sense. We've got one more chapter left in this story, coming soon! As always, thank you for reading!
> 
> Edit: Check out this AMAZING fanart created by walkingonthestars (@hamsternamedmarinette on tumblr) of the final battle: https://hamsternamedmarinette.tumblr.com/post/642386265605603328/everyone-go-read-the-fic-repetition-by


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